Two young Romanians confined to wheelchairs became celebrities for the evening when they visited a south Essex football club.

Club date - Canvey FC's Steve Tilson with Romanian guests Veronica Petrovici and Christian Corodea. Picture: NICK ANSELL 5BEPK1

Veronica Petrovici, 16, and ten-year-old Christian Corodea took up an invitation to watch promotion-hungry Canvey Island Football Club in training just before Christmas.

The two young amputees, who have been staying with George and Lisa Henry in Leigh View Drive, Leigh, were feted as they met the team and supporters - on a high as they prepare to meet first division leaders Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup on January 5.

Veronica is in this country for an extended Christmas holiday while Christian has had further surgery after having a prosthesis fitted on his severed leg last year. The operation, carried out in staff's own time at the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells, was paid for by Southend firm KeyMed, which is also funding an extended course of physiotherapy.

The company has also come up with Christmas presents for the young people - a personal stereo for Veronica and a football and clothes for Christian.

George, who with Lisa runs the charity Humanitarian Aid Project for Eastern Europe, said: "KeyMed has been a diamond and Canvey always let us fundraise before matches. It is one of our biggest venues."

Published Thursday December 27, 2001