Blind schoolboy Liam Mid-wood is missing out on classes because his parents claim the new school he should have started at in September is still not ready for him.

Ten-year-old Liam, who is moderately deaf and registered blind, should have started at mainstream school Grove House Primary in Eccleshill Bradford, three months ago. But his mum Liz Little has kept him off because of safety fears.

She says unpainted railings and radiators he could bump into are just some of the health risks which could pose serious problems for her son.

Liam had to swap schools when Bradford's Temple Bank special school shut earlier this year as part of a district-wide shake-up.

Today Grove House school head teacher Mick Heyes admitted there were "teething problems" but Education Bradford said it was confident that the school was meeting Liam's needs.

Liam's mum and stepfather Dean had wanted him to stay in a specialist school when Temple Bank closed. But the cost of sending him to the only other specialist blind school would cost £100,000 over ten years.

They asked Education Bradford to foot the bill and send Liam to the RNIB boarding school in Worcester but the request was turned down.

The family, of Wharncliffe Road, Shipley, took their case to an Education Tribunal in Leeds in May but a panel ruled that Liam still had to go to Grove House. Mr and Mrs Little refused to give up the fight and went to the High Court in London to appeal. But their barrister advised them to drop the case the day before the hearing because Bradford Education said the school would be ready in time for Liam to start in the September term.

"But they weren't ready at all," said Mr Little, 34.

"He was supposed to be given mobility lessons during the summer holidays so he'd be able to find his way round school in September and they have only just started doing it now.

"The railings are still grey and need to be painted so he has a better chance of seeing them, the radiators are the same colour as the walls so they blend in and the lighting inside needs to be sorted. Liam has photophobia which means he is extra-sensitive to light and needs special lighting so it doesn't hurt his eyes. He's actually having to wear his outdoor glasses.

"He's also being given white paper to work on where his teachers know it's better for him to work on coloured paper so he isn't as dazzled.

"These may all sound like little things to some people but they all add up and are not acceptable."

Head teacher Mr Heyes said there had been "teething problems" which could have been overcome earlier if Liam had started school sooner. He said staff had worked hard to get everything ready for him and that the half-day arrangement had been agreed with Liam's parents to help him settle in.

"There's only one radiator that is waiting to be covered," he said. "And as for the fencing, I have the quotes and the work will be done as soon as Education Bradford approves the cost.

"I'll investigate the lighting situation and will take up the colour paper issue with Liam's teachers and support workers."

Mr Heyes said mobility sessions had not gone ahead in the summer because the school was being re-wired and was out of bounds.

Eight other visually impaired pupils from Temple Bank started at Grove House in September and a team of nine staff from nursery nurses to lunchtime supervisors and teachers joined them.

A spokesman for Education Bradford said: "We are confident that the provision at Grove House Primary School is meeting Liam's educational needs."