Little Joe Smith's life is about to be transformed. His family has been given a people carrier to help transport him around.

The severely disabled five-year-old from Greater Leys, Oxford, has been virtually housebound until now because his parents could not afford a suitable vehicle to take him out.

Motability, a registered charity specialising in helping severely disabled people to become more mobile, has arranged a three-year lease on a new Vauxhall Zafira worth over £14,000 for the Smith family.

Joe, who needs a permanent respirator, was paralysed after an incident at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital when he was a ten-month-old baby.

Oxford Mail readers rallied round last year, raising £1,000 in days for a specialised computer to help Joe communicate with the rest of the world, and now he will be able to see it, too.

His father Pete said: "Although he can't move, Joe can see and understand what's going on and he gets bored a lot quicker now.

"Having a car and being able to include him in our lives so that he can take part instead of always being an observer will be great for him. We will be able to be a proper family now."

Little Joe has two brothers and a sister, with another on the way, so a seven-seater is perfect.

Andrew Vernon, Vauxhall's Oxford Motability specialist, said there were 300 Vauxhall Motability cars currently on the roads in Oxfordshire.

He added: "The Zafira comes with a fitted immobiliser and remote-controlled deadlock security system, as well as numerous safety features, so it's ideal for Joe and his family."