A Sussex mum is one of a number of parents taking legal action claiming vaccines have left their children with learning difficulties.

Mother Rochelle Poulter from Burgess Hill is suing a pharmaceutical firm at the centre of mounting controversy over the triple MMR immunisation for mumps, measels and rubella.

Matthew Poulter, now ten, battles through each day as he struggles with autism and attention deficit disorder.

Young Matthew's case is one of 14 across the country being brought by parents on their children's behalf against vaccine manufacturer Merck and Co, which is defending the action in the High Court.

Because of his learning and behaviour problems Matthew attends a special autism unit at West Blatchington School at Hangleton, Hove.

His sister Katrina, six, and brother Chris, 13, both had similar measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines, but lead normal lives while every day is a severe challenge for Matthew, his mother and father Graham, 44.

The families are asking for damages for the children "exceeding £50,000" for personal injury.

Mrs Poulter said: "I didn't know they were asking for £50,000.

"Some money would be nice in as much as it would secure his future, but where does £50,000 go nowadays?

"But even if it was a million pounds I would rather have a child that was going to grow up into a normal adult.

"It does not seem that he is going to be independent and go out to work in the way you'd expect a child to grow up.

"I am not that well up on the money side of it. I have left it with the solicitors. If we don't get anything and they stop producing more vaccines until they are certain they are right, that will be enough."

"By the time he was 18 months old it was obvious something was wrong.

"He changed. Where he had been happy and smiling, he started to get very angry and throw his toys. Where he used to roll his cars across the floor, he broke them into pieces.

Matthew's learning level is about that of a six-year- old child. He struggled in a mainstream school until his condition was diagnosed and his family say he has made improvements since going to the special unit.

"It's a special unit attached to the main school, so they can have contact with the other children if they want.

"He has done much better since he has been there.

"In my opinion it is brilliant. Before he went there, he could not even pick a pen up. Now he is writing much better.

"But in two years he will be secondary school age and there is no provision for children like him in East or West Sussex.

"He would never survive in a secondary school, not even with ancillary help. I really don't know what he will do."

Despite her other children being unharmed from their vaccinations, Mrs Poulter said: "Had I known then what I know now I would not let any of them have them. I think sometimes how could I have been so silly."

Nobody from Merck and Co was available for comment.