The parents of an autistic boy who believed a tribunal was misled when their son was given a place at an unsuitable school have been vindicated at the High Court.

At the High Court last Friday, Judge Mr Justice Sullivan said Croydon Council had proved "a complete failure" in understanding its role as an education authority.

The Croydon boy - named only as 'J' for legal reasons - suffers from Asperger's Syndrome and cannot be taught in a mainstream school due to his challenging behaviour.

His parents wanted him to go to a school specialising in treating Asperger's, which Croydon Council deemed too expensive.

Instead, a Special Education Needs Tribunal (Sent) said in February that 'J' should be taught at Brantridge School, in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, after the school's headteacher gave misleading evidence to the panel.

Giving evidence on behalf of Croydon Council, Nick White told the tribunal that his school was registered with the National Autistic Society (NAS) and that it was not an establishment for children with behavioural and social problems, which was unsuitable for 'J'.

However, the High Court heard it had since emerged that the school is registered with the Department of Education and Skills as an establishment for those with behavioural and social problems.

And the school is only registered with the Public Autism Resource Information Service (Paris) which, although run by the NAS, is not credited to the society.

The council denied the tribunal had been misled either intentionally or unintentionally, but Mr Justice Sullivan asked lawyers for the local authority to reconsider its stance. After ordering another tribunal, Croydon Council was told to pay J's legal bill, around £22,000.

A spokesman for Croydon Council said: "The local education authority does not seek to withhold information from tribunals and tries at all times to be transparent."