A young terror bomb victim who, it was feared, could be condemned to a life begging on the streets, is making a remarkable recovery thanks to the generosity of Bradford people.

Waqas Saddique suffered horrific burns and disabling nerve damage when a terrorist car bomb exploded outside a mosque in his Kashmiri village in 1999, killing 13 people and injuring 26.

His family brought him to Bradford in the hope they could raise £9,000 for surgery to help him regain the use of his right hand.

Two operations had to be cancelled because they could initially only raise £2,100.

Without the treatment, it was feared Waqas would not be able to find a job when he returns to his village and could face a lifetime of begging on the streets.

The youngster, who spent six months in a Kashmir hospital after he was injured, has been staying with his sister Yasmeen Ahmed and brother-in-law Mushtaq at Cottam Terrace, Bradford.

Mr Ahmed told the Telegraph & Argus last year: "He nearly died but now we can give him another chance. Unless we do something he will be disabled for the rest of his life."

After the story in the T&A, money rolled in from people all over Bradford.

And Waqas, now 16, was able to complete his treatment with two operations at St James's Hospital, Leeds, to transfer nerves from his legs to his arms and fingers.

He is now undergoing physiotherapy - and becoming more fluent in English.

"I have to do exercises every week," he said. "But my arm is fine - though I can't lift anything heavy - and my fingers are getting better. They still feel very cold, though."

Waqas still cannot hold a pen well enough to write, but he wants to find a school which will take him.

"I like it very much in Bradford," he said. "This country is very nice and I love the football - I'm a Liverpool fan!"