A teenager left disabled after a vicious attack in Oxford must raise £2,000 for a motorised wheelchair before he can attend a special college.

Family and friends are helping Stephen Taylor, 19, get the cash to buy the wheelchair so he can take up his place at the National Star College, Cheltenham, in September.

Stephen, of Barton Village Road, Barton, Oxford, was repeatedly kicked in the head and left unconscious in a pool of blood in an alleyway on September 14, 2003.

The serious head injuries he suffered left him in a coma for two months and unable to talk or walk properly.

He now needs full-time care and a wheelchair. Stephen's attacker, Lee Davies, 19, also of Barton Village Road, was jailed for six-and-half years in August, for what Judge Anthony King described as vicious and unjustified violence.

If Stephen raises funds for the wheelchair, he will study work-related subjects at the further education college, which caters for disabled 16- to 25-year-olds.

Stephen spends two days a week at Oxford's Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, where he is given ongoing treatment including physiotherapy.

Mum Linda Taylor, 53, said: "He is doing really well. He can manage to walk down our garden path, to the front door, but he says that is a struggle. It's not pleasant for a 19-year-old, as most teenagers can go out when they like."

Before the attack Stephen was a lively teenager who enjoyed nothing more than watching football and having a game with his friends.

Miss Taylor and Stephen's father, Geoff McCormack, have been left to care for their son, and have been slowly teaching him basic skills. But doctors say it could be 10 years before the former Cheney School pupil is able to regain his independence.

In August, the Oxford Mail reported that Stephen was learning to write with his left hand, and eat using a fork.

His mother said: "He is doing a lot better now, he is feeding himself and can clean his teeth."

She likened the effects of his injuries to those of having a stroke, affecting his right hand side.

"He is not the same as he was before, he will never be the same, but I am just pleased there is a smile on his face and he is full of cheek."

Anyone who wants to make a donation or organise a fundraising event can contact Miss Taylor on 01865 450313.