HE IS back behind the wheel and loving every minute of it!Now out of hospital Lol Hare is refusing to let go of his independence and has had a new car specially adapted for him.

By Jessica Nicholls

HE IS back behind the wheel and loving every minute of it!

Now out of hospital Lol Hare is refusing to let go of his independence and has had a new car specially adapted for him.

Instead of a set of foot pedals, the Chrysler has been specially adapted for Lol with all the controls on the dashboard.

The 32-year-old speedway rider was paralysed from the neck down during a race at Newport, Gwent in April.

His vertebrae were crushed but since then Lol has managed to surprise the doctors with his amazing progress.

Lol cannot move his legs but does have mobility in his arms so his new car was specially adapted with that in mind.

A lever has been attached under the steering wheel which acts as accelerator and brake. There is also a box on the steering wheel with buttons on which are the indicators meaning all the controls are easily accessible.

The car was paid for by the Lol Hare Support Fund run by the Evening Star, Lol's aunt Lynn Dennis and former speedway promoter Mike Western.

More than £100,000 has been raised so far to help Lol lead as full and independent a life as possible.

Far from taking things slowly Lol has already made two trips to Stoke Mandeville Hospital and back where he spent several weeks and where he also passed a disabled driving assessment.

Sitting smiling in his car, complete with alloy wheels, Lol said: "It gives me my independence and I am usually going from point to point so there is someone at the other end to get my chair in and out of the back.

"Although there are controls on the steering wheel I can get to the other controls as well and once I reach a certain speed on the motorway I can just put it on to cruise control."

Lol always liked the Chrysler car anyway but it is good for him because it is so big – he can fit his wheelchair in the back and still get five people in the car.

His car was adapted at Hadleigh Car Port on Ransomes Europark.

Granville Sutton is specially trained to help disabled drivers and adapt their cars.

He said that all cars are specially adapted to the individual.

He said: "You have to find out where people's strengths are – Lol has mobility in his arms so all the controls have to centre around that.

"When you do an adaptation the car does have to come back to be tweaked so its not just a case of saying see you for the first service so you get to know the customers quite well."