A NORTH-East surgeon has put his best foot forward to help victims of war.

Charles Viva, a retired plastic surgeon from Middlesbrough, took part in a fund-raising walk with staff from Woodlands private hospital, in Darlington.

The nine-mile sponsored trek at Reeth, in Swaledale, was organised to raise funds for international aid charity Interplast, of which Mr Viva is a member.

The charity provides medical attention to desperately poor people abroad who are deformed through illness or have been casualties of war.

A spokeswoman for Woodlands Hospital said: "It is such a good charity and for Mr Viva to go abroad to perform plastic surgery for other people free of charge is such a nice thing to do.

"We thought we would also do something to help."

For more information about Interplast UK, contact (01642) 882442.