A Gravesend dad has been left fearing for his son's future after struggling for six months to find him a school place.

Damien Edgar took custody of his children Jaren, 15, and Janiya, 12, in May this year, and immediately set about trying to find them new schools in the town.

Mr Edgar, an IT technical support officer from Canal Road, quickly found a place at Thamesview School for his daughter, but says he has been unable to find a place for his son - who has ADHD and autism - despite repeated efforts to contact Kent County Council (KCC) and special education officials.

"If it was me stopping him from going to school I would be in court or prison," he said. "How is it fair that it’s taking this long?

"I’ve been told there are quite a few other kids in this area having the same problem. I think there’s not enough schools around."

He says his son's situation has been exacerbated by the fact that because Mr Edgar works full-time, Jaren has to stay miles away with his grandmother and aunt during the week so someone is around to look after him.

And the teen is still coming to terms with the death of his mother earlier this year.

"It’s had a bad effect on him," he said. "His mum passed away in June, but because he’s autistic we don’t know how he actually feels. Whenever I try to talk he closes up.

"He goes to his grandmother and auntie every other week - he must feel like he hasn’t got a home. He needs structure. His education hasn’t been great but it’s obviously got worse."

Mr Edgar said he feared his son would slip further behind having had no official guidance on further education.

He says there has been no official home-schooling and Jaren has been learning from free online resources.

"He’s got to the age where a year or so longer and Kent don’t need to do anything," he added.

"I’m just worried because he’s already behind. I don’t know where I should send him - college?

"He has no GCSEs. I don’t know what to do and I have no help."

Mr Edgar says he also contacted his MP and made a complaint to KCC and waited six weeks for a response.

A spokesman for KCC said: “We have been in contact with Mr Edgar.

"As Jaren has an EHC Plan, KCC has been working with the school that was his father’s preference, Thamesview; they will be making arrangements and adjustments to meet Jaren’s specific needs and he should be starting at Thamesview imminently.

"We are confident that the situation has therefore been resolved.”