THE grandmother of a seven-year-old boy who went missing for six hours while on a family holiday in North Wales has issued a desperate plea for someone to help the youngster overcome the severe behavioural problems which he suffers from.

Philip Jones from Sutton sparked a massive search when he wandered off from a paddling pool in Rhyl during a four-day stay in nearby Towyn.

Eventually he was found safe and sound at a caravan park as reported in last week's St Helens Star. But his grandmother, Marion Connor, fears there might be tragic consequences unless Philip, who it is believed could be autistic, gets urgent help.

She told the Star: "As a result of our ordeal I only hope that somebody will do something to help Philip. We were promised treatment when he was five-years-old which he has still not received. The doctor who he last visited, for about 15 minutes, gave my daughter a prescription to help him sleep because she was taking him abroad on holiday for the first time. He said that he had to have half a capsule at night, but the chemist told us we couldn't do that. "Then there's his schooling. Philip was a pupil at Hurst Special School for three years but they couldn't teach him. He was disruptive and had to be taken out of class. There was nothing anybody could do for him."

And she added: "My daughter thought I was going to have a heart attack the day Philip went missing but the problems are an ongoing thing. It's all day, every day, with no help whatsoever. He can't be taken on public transport because he swears, bangs his head on the floor and screams for no reason. You can't take him into a shop because he does the same thing. The only time he is settled is when Trevor McDonald comes on the TV.

"Could somebody please help us? I must have aged 10 years in six hours. This story has got a happy ending this time, thank God, but there must be a doctor out there who can help Philip."

A spokesman for St Helens and Knowsley Health Authority told the Star: "We have been in contact with the family and will offer them and Philip all the support we can."