News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A disfigured boy has taken another step towards his dream of living a normal life after a British soldier spent 10 years raising money for his treatment.

Staff Sargeant Wayne Ingram, 44, spotted four-year-old Stefan Savic while on patrol in Bosnia in 2003 and vowed to get him state-of-the-art medical help.

Stefan, now 14, was born with a debilitating facial cleft which meant his eyes were 5cm further apart and he didn't have a proper nose.

Dad-of-two Sargeant Ingram, formerly of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers has since raised more than £100,000 to pay for reconstructive surgery and other treatments which have changed Stefan's life.

The teenager returned to the UK this week with parents Slavenka, 36, and Milos, 44, for a second operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London which will help improve his breathing.

Wayne, from Weymouth, Dorset, said: "I was on a routine patrol In Bosnia when I was introduced to his father and went to meet Stefan.

"The condition had been left untreated and had grown between Stefan's eyes, crushing his skull, forcing his eyes apart to the point he couldn't see what was ahead of him.

"But aside from the facial deformities he was just a normal, playful little boy. He was confident and cheeky, climbing all over me as we played football in the yard.

"I had two young sons myself at the time and there was no way I could stand back and do nothing. I knew in an instant I had to do everything I could to help."

Stefan went under the knife three times less than a year after meeting Wayne as surgeons cut his his face in half to move his eyes closer and built him a new nose.

His latest operation - a four-hour procedure to help improve his airways - took place on Saturday and was a complete success.