The family of a student paralysed from the chest down after a motorbike crash has been forced to 'beg' on the streets in the hope of buying the special wheelchair he needs to continue his studies.

Gareth Houston, who is hoping to compete in the ParaOlympics, needs a special wheelchair to allow him to continue his studies

Gareth Houston, 17, of Halse Water, Didcot, and his family are campaigning for a change in the law so disabled students can get funding for equipment such as a £3,500 Lifestand 'stand-up' wheelchair.

He is studying at Oxford and Cherwell College for an engineering qualification to work as a motor engineer - while hoping to represent Britain as a powerlifter in the ParaOlympics in Greece next year.

Gareth said: "Being confined to a standard wheelchair means that I cannot reach high enough to work a lathe and do other tasks on a standard height workbench."

His friends and relatives have now resorted to street collections in Oxford and Didcot to raise the cash.

Gareth was lucky to survive the crash in Marcham in February. He was unconscious for 12 days in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, where he also contracted the superbug MRSA. This week, he is back in hospital for an operation to remove internal steel supports.

Had he been in employment when the crash happened, the Government would have considered paying for the wheelchair, which allows a paraplegic to stand easily and independently.

Stepfather Steve Carter, 43, who gave up his job as an HGV and machine driver to become Gareth's full-time carer, said the crash nearly bankrupted the family, who had to move house to provide more accessibility for a wheelchair.

"All Gareth wants to do is to complete his training as an engineer and get a job so that he will not be a drain on the taxpayer," he said.

A Government spokesman said he could not comment on individual cases.