Lori (and everyone) thanks for your replies.

Unfortunately there is nowhere for him to go. Unless he gets into the Youth Justice system again for something really serious nothing will be done. Social Services do not have the resources to accomodate 15 to 16 year olds in our area of the UK. This is why I keep trying to send him to his fathers; it isn't because I want to abandon him but I'm trying to help him see that his behaviour is intolerable and has to change before I can have him here. He is making me ill but doesn't seem to care.

Any help he gets is on a voluntary basis and he won't engage with any of it. I do not have a partner but I do have an old school friend who may be able to talk to him but the problem here is that he is a recreational drug user himself so is bound to be biased towards illegal substance use. I fear it would look as though I am condoning the very behaviour I am trying to curb in him.

His elder sister has taken him in for a few days even though this is not ideal because she has a toddler who doesn't need to see his bad behaviour. But at least I know he is safe until Friday. I know he won't come back here because he hates me at the moment and is not speaking to me. So I've no idea what will happen from there.