A soldier who had his arm blown off by a grenade in Helmand, Afghanistan in 2010 has become the first person in the UK to receive a mind-controlled prosthetic limb.

The revolutionary surgery, which involved rewiring the nerve system, has been hailed as the future of prosthetic recovery.

Corporal Andrew Garthwaite, 26, from South Shields, said: "When I first got told about the operation I thought it was some sort of fairy tale. "I'm going to have a nice Christmas with the family and my wife."

Pictures: MoD