Eight children from the Balkans who are in need of urgent medical treatment have arrived in Northern Ireland.

Their journey was organised by Belfast charity worker Reggie Donnelly.

Two children from Bosnia and six from Albania arrived at his west Belfast home on Tuesday.

The two boys from Bosnia have both lost limbs through accidents with landmines.

Doctors in Galway in the Republic of Ireland have agreed to donate their services for free, but three hospital places still need to be found.

Mr Donnelly said: "In October last year two children died because we could not get hospitals to take them."

He said that after the deaths, aid workers decided to bring the sick children to the province in the hope that they could get treatment.