Autistic Benjamin Brittain was so amazed by the traffic lights he saw on the streets around him he begged his mother to have one as a present.

Mother Jayne said she looked in vain for a model set to buy her 11-year-old son and was beginning to give up hope when she saw a local manufacturer of pedestrian lights.

Instead of a model, the firm installed the real thing in Benjamin's back garden - complete with a remote control box for him to use.

I kept asking him what he wanted and all he said the whole time was 'traffic lights' Jayne, Benjamin's mother

The youngster, from Melksham, Wiltshire, now happily spends hours controlling his very own lights.

Mrs Brittain said Benjamin, who was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of three, had always had a fascination with traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and, in particular, the little green man.

She said: "I kept asking him what he wanted and all he said the whole time was 'traffic lights' .

Neighbours' permission

"Every time we went out I would look in toy and model shops to see if we could find any but the only thing we found were model signals - and they weren't good enough."

When she spotted a van bearing the name Lux, a local firm which makes traffic lights, she decided to write and back came the offer of a real set of lights.

Benjamin can control the lights on his own

The neighbours all gave permission for the unusual feature.

Benjamin was ecstatic with his new "toy", which he can operated with his own control switch box.

The Malmesbury-based firm also gave Benjamin a calendar featuring lots of traffic lights and will be taking him on a tour of their factory at half-term.

Ms Brittain said: "They have been absolutely brilliant. They've even made sure the lights can be removed and taken with us should we move!"

Darren Saunders, marketing manager of Lux Traffic Controls Ltd, said it was one of the most unusual requests they have ever had.

"We were happy to help out. It's good to see someone so pleased with our work," he said.