AUTISTIC NEIGHBOUR FLASHES AT MY KIDS; ..& no one will do anything about it, says worried mum.

Byline: CLAIRE BRENNAN

A DISTRAUGHT mum is living in fear because authorities refuse to deal with a mentally ill neighbour who is terrorising her family.

The woman said the man regularly walks into her garden and exposes himself in front of her two children.

Her eight-year-old son is so scared of the intruder he refuses leave the house.

The mum, who asked not be named, said: "My son will not go outside and play.

"During the summer holidays he refused to stay here. He had to go to his grandmother's, which is 30 miles away.

"It's no way to live. I feel so coldhearted because I know this man is sick but I have to protect my children."

The man, who reportedly has severe autism, has been trespassing on the family's Midlands home for seven years.

But the mum-of-two said the incidents are now becoming more frequent and she is desperate for help.

Gardai, local politicians and the HSE insist there is nothing they can do.

The woman added: "Our local Garda arranged a meeting with the HSE and he has put in a statement on our behalf.

UNPREDICTABLE "But the HSE said they cannot see a problem and they will review it in a year.

"I don't understand how they can't see a problem. The incidents are so unpredictable.

Sometimes he wears clothes, other times he is just dressed in a T-shirt.

"My husband and I have contacted the HSE ourselves but they said they cannot discuss a patient. We don't want to discuss him, we want to discuss us.

"His social worker told us there's nothing more she can do and to put up a 6ft fence."

The man lives with his mother in an isolated area but the family said it's clear she cannot cope and her son needs residential care.

The mum told RTE 2FM's Gerry Ryan Show: "I understand she is terrified they will take her son away. I know he has no sense of what he is doing.

"On the other hand, I have to look after our children's welfare. It has taken me seven years to say something.

"I was looking after a friend's child one day and he appeared in the garden.

"The kids were all screaming and I had to put them in the bathroom because every time I put them in a bedroom he would go to that window."

In some cases the man has also shown signs of violent behaviour.

The mum added: "We have to lock all of our doors at the minute and we don't have a social life because we cannot get a babysitter to stay alone in our house."

A spokewoman for the HSE said: "We have no comment to make on this."

Irish Mirror Comment: Page 10