A Bosnian war victim hopes to regain the use of his hand - after a hospital performed vital surgery for free.

The 20-year-old man was last night recovering in an Oxford private hospital after the first step in a series of operations.

Roy and Eve Hoare, of Church Close, Merton, near Bicester, began a crusade last September to bring two Bosnians - Iljo Mikic and Ivica Mikic - over to England for surgery.

Ivica, 21, was too badly hurt for any operation to work, but medical experts said Iljo could benefit from surgery to mend nerve endings in his arm.

The two, who are not related, had been playing basketball when a mortar exploded. They were the only two to survive the blast. Iljo was left with nerve injuries to his right arm and injuries to his leg and back. Ivica had his knee cap blown away. The retired couple were hoping to raise £10,000, but despite numerous fundraising events only raised £4,500.

But Roy, through his work on the board of prison visitors at Bullingdon Prison, had colleagues who had links with the Acland Hospital in Banbury Road and alerted them to the situation.

And when hospital bosses heard of Iljo's plight they agreed the private hospital facilities could be used for free and consultant Henk Giele would waive his fee.

Yesterday's operation involved repairing the damaged nerves. A follow-up operation will then redistribute tendons in the arm.

Mr Giele said last night's operation went well.

He said: "It won't be a normal hand but he'll have reasonable hand function."

Mr Hoare said only about £1,200 of the money he and his wife raised was needed. The rest will go to a children's charity.

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