A TEENAGE girl whose life was wrecked just days after her 14th birth-day has been awarded £3.6 million dam-ages foll-owing a nine year fight for compen-sation.

Deborah Roebuck suffered a severe brain injury when she was knocked off her bike by a van and was left with memory, intellectual and behavioural problems.

But Deborah, who is now 23, bravely battled back against her difficulties with the help and support of her devoted family.

And on Monday she sat in the High Court in Manchester with her mum, Ann, dad, Rob, and sister, Joanna, as the damages award was approved by Mr Justice Gross.

Lawyers acting for Deborah and the van driver had settled the compensation claim in an overall sum of nearly £5 million but then deducted 25 per cent of the money to cover any liability on Deborah's part for the accident.

And after the case, Ann said it was now hoped the money would help Deborah live a "quality life" with all the support she needs.

She also expressed her sincere thanks to hospital staff, the family's solicitors, Hugh Potter and co, friends, family and support groups for all the help given since the accident.

"The last nine years have been a long journey and now we can look forward to a more secure future for Deborah," she added.

The tragedy occurred as Deborah was riding her bike while crossing Woodsend Road, Flixton.

Deborah, a pupil at Flixton Girls High School at the time, was injured in a collision with a van and suffered fractures to her skull and ribs and a severe brain injury.

She was taken to Trafford General Hospital and trans-ferred to the neuro-surgical unit at Hope Hospital where she had emergency surgery.

Eventually she began walk-ing with support, feeding herself and then started attending a specialist brain injury unit.

She has now moved out of the family home in Flixton and bought her own bungalow which has been adapted for her.

At court, her counsel Giles Wingate-Saul QC said everyone who knows Deborah described her as "charming" and it was clear the help and support given by her parents was "enormous".