Battle facing our wounded heroes; ON TV: How a Birmingham hospital gives horrifically-injured troops fresh hope.

Byline: Paul Bradley

TONIGHT millions of television viewers can see for the first time how soldiers horrifically injured serving their country are treated at a Birmingham hospital.

In a landmark agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the BBC, a film crew was allowed to follow two wounded soldiers being treated at Selly Oak Hospital after being injured in Afghanistan.

The powerful documentary details the highs and lows of being treated at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and the Defence Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court in Surrey.

Royal Irish Ranger Andy Allen, aged 19, was blown up by an improvised explosive device and was flown back to Selly Oak where doctors battled to keep him alive.

Paratrooper Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, aged 24 and from Worcester, lost both his legs and one of his arms when he fell victim to an almost identical blast.

The programme charts his battle to walk again and to be able to stand with prosthetic limbs when he collects his war medal from Prince Charles. Professor of clinical traumatology Keith Porter, who oversees the pair's treatment in Birmingham, said: "We are delighted viewers will finally see the victims of war from a personal point of view, from both the patient and the supporting family's perspective," he said.

"So often we recount those who have died but I suspect nobody really has a true perception of the number of people who are injured.

"I think it would surprise most people if I told them that today I have 31 patients on the normal military ward and another six intensive care." In the past four months the number of military patients coming through the doors at Selly Oak has more than doubled.

L/Cpl Neathway, who is learning to use metal legs from the thigh downwards, now visits other seriously injured patients at Selly Oak in an attempt to spur them towards recovery.

He said: "When they're lying in that bed, they think their lives have ended. But they haven't, it's just taken a different path."

Wounded is on BBC1 at 9pm and 10.35pm.

OUR SAY: PAGE 18

CAPTION(S):

Starting again: BBC cameras charted the progress of L/Cpl Tom Neathway as he was fitted with prosthetic limbs during treatment at Selly Oak Hospital. Inset: Prof Keith Porter.