A single father is struggling to get his severely autistic daughter to her nursery she “shines” at - after they were moved out of the borough.

Yasyn Smith, of Tile Kiln Lane, Palmers Green, spends four hours a day on buses taking three-year-old Amina to his mother’s home in Mill Hill East, where she gets a special bus which takes her to The Acorn Centre nursery in Colindale, which looks after children with special education needs.

The 24 mile round trip each day is proving taxing on the pair, leaving them exhausted.

The toddler was diagnosed with severe autism two years ago, and finds public transport extremely difficult to deal with.

Mr Smith, 25, said: “The journey puts a lot of stress on both of us. On the bus she screams, kicks and cries.

“It’s difficult for her being around people, and having so much going on around her that she doesn’t understand. She gets frustrated, because she doesn’t understand what she is doing.

“A lot of people sitting around her don’t understand. Some people get quite frustrated. It’s hard to deal with every day.”

They originally lived with his mother in Curry Rise, Mill Hill East, but Barnet Homes moved them to temporary accommodation in Bounds Green two years ago. They were moved to a ground floor flat in Palmers Green last November, as the toddler had difficulty getting up and down stairs.

He is hoping to move back into Barnet, so it is easier for his daughter to get to nursery.

Mr Smith, who is currently a fulltime carer for his daughter, said: “It would be much more ideal to be in the area. I would be able to get her transport sorted out, and it would take a lot of stress off my daughter.

“She’s been at the nursery for a year, and goes back Monday. It teaches her how to communicate with others, and be a bit more aware of her surroundings.

“The staff members have been really helpful, and it helps with her speech. It stimulates her mind, and makes her a lot calmer. It helps her to shine.”

Mr Smith claims he has been in regular contact with Barnet Homes about his situation, but a spokesman for the housing group said it has not heard from him since February.

Barnet Borough Council gives children with disabilities free transport within the borough – meaning he is now not covered.

Mr Smith added: “I feel fed up. It’s causing so many problems for us both. It’s having an effect on my health, I always suffer from fatigue.

“It’s stressful because it’s so time consuming just to get her to get picked up. I have to travel four times a day.”

A spokesman for Barnet Council said: “Our SEN team are not currently aware that Mr Smith has changed address. If he would like to get in touch with us we would be happy to discuss his new circumstances with him.”