The mother of tragic schoolboy Ross Doyle says she is losing hope his killer will every be found.

Ross's mother Cheryl, with a picture of her son

Ross, who was nine at the time he died, was knocked down by a stolen car in Pegasus Road, Blackbird Leys, two years ago.

Ross Doyle

Despite a number of arrests no-one has ever been charged over his death.

Ross's mother, Cheryl, said she was no longer sure she and her family would see the killer brought to justice.

She began to lose confidence after three people were arrested and bailed earlier this year, but released without charge.

"For a long time I was 100 per cent convinced that somebody would be brought to justice -- but my faith has dropped quite a lot," she said.

"I'm only about 40 per cent confident that they will confess or somebody will give information to the police leading to their prosecution.

"It's only really in the last few months I've felt this way, since the last arrests were made. They were released on bail a couple of times and then just released.

"Since then all hope is fading."

But she continues to give her full backing to Oxford police for the way officers handled the investigation.

"I know deep down the police won't give up until it is brought to light who was involved, which is a comfort," she said.

Ross, a pupil at St John Fisher RC First School, was killed while returning from football practice with friends at Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre at about 8.45pm. Goalkeeper Ross was one of the stars of the Blackbird Leys under-nine team.

Eye-witnesses saw two people fleeing the scene across playing fields towards Cuddesdon Way shortly after he was knocked down.

Mrs Doyle, of Redwood Close, Greater Leys, said no prison sentence for those responsible could compare with what she and her family have been put through.

"If they go before a court and they are found guilty they will get a prison sentence.

"That prison sentence is not going to be anywhere near the sentence we have had. We have had a life sentence. We will never be back to normal," she said.

She was concerned the code of silence of those shielding the guilty may not be broken, despite continued appeals in the media.

"With it being in the media, it's letting them know it's not going to go away until they are brought to justice."

Mrs Doyle, 40, a learning support assistant, said her husband Mick, 43, and their children Naomi, 19, Ricky, 15, and Kylie, 13, would spend part of today together and visit Ross's graveside and the memorial plaque in Pegasus Road, where he was killed.

Like any nine-year-old, Ross loved Christmas. Mrs Doyle said she can't go into toy shops at this time of year without seeing gifts she knows he would have liked.

She said: "This would be hard to deal with at any time of year. It makes it twice as hard because Christmas is coming.

She thanked the people of Blackbird Leys for the support they had given her family.

An inquest is expected to be held into Ross's death next year. The prospect fills her with mixed emotions.

"We want it because it's going to be part of the whole thing that can be closed," she said.