More than a year after a hit and run tragedy, a brave survivor has been able to return home to spend Christmas with her family.

Rosie Brown was one of five friends hit by drunk driver Stefan Stanko as they walked home from the social club in Beaver Road, Ashford in September last year.

Stanko was jailed for 10 years after admitting causing the deaths of Brian Moon, 67, and 49-year-old Denise Head by dangerous driving, for driving while drunk and failing to stop after an accident.

Towers School pupil Rosie, now aged 13, was left severely disabled by the crash but has continued to make small steps to recovery at Chailey Heritage Clinical Services in East Sussex, a special NHS unit for children with head injuries.

Although she has been staying at the unit for most of the year, she was allowed to return to her family's new home in Monkton Close, Stanhope, on Friday and there was a homecoming party for her at the social club.

In the afternoon she also had a visit from kmfm presenter John 'Webbo' Webster, pictured, who took her a Christmas present from the Kentish Express team of a bedspread featuring her favourite pop band, JLS.

Grandfather and legal guardian Steve Scorah said: "She hasn't stopped smiling since she got back. It's absolutely wonderful to have her home for Christmas. It's brilliant news when you consider we've been waiting for six months."

As Rosie is in a wheelchair, the Scorahs are still waiting for a lift to be fitted that can carry her from the living room up to her bedroom, but they have a special piece of equipment called a stair walker so she can be carried upstairs.

Mr Scorah said: "She likes her new bedroom with her pink bed, a huge poster of Jedward on the wall, a little pink Christmas tree, a television and some fish in a tank.

"We would like to thank social services, in particular occupational therapist Tracey Adams, who has done most of the work in getting Rosie home.

"We'd also like to thank her boss, Jo Jackson, and Annette Yilmez, Rosie's social worker.

"I can't praise them highly enough. The work they've done to get her home is just incredible."

Although Rosie normally feeds through a tube, recently she has been able to eat small amounts of pureed food, and she has communicated to her family through a computer.

She even told her dad Ricci that she wanted tickets to go and see JLS. Rosie is going to have more operations to help her straighten her leg, feet and toes in the new year.

Grandmother Margaret said: "She's starting to eat a little bit now, and since she had the Baclofen implant a lot of the other medication she had to take has stopped. She's doing really, really well."

Mr Scorah added: "They've managed to motorise her wheelchair at Chailey but her only complaint was that it doesn't go fast enough."