EVESHAM businessman, Robert Johnson, who returned from Bosnia last week, was bowled over by the delight in the children's eyes when clothes, toys and chocolate were handed out to them.

Sponsored by his own company, Johnson Property Consultants, Mr Johnson joined a convoy of 20 Land Rovers on October 11 on a week-long Red Cross mercy mission to distribute vital aid to the war torn community.

Mr Johnson said: "All the way through Slovenia and Croatia we were greeted by smiling people and waving children.

"Our convoy of Land Rovers was two miles long and in perfect formation.

"On October 14 we arrived in Bosanka Krupa to a fantastic reception. A quick buffet was laid on before work started to unload which took about six hours.

"While there we found time to play with the street children. One chap was teaching them how to line dance and then we played football with them - for me this was what the trip was all about."

Mr Johnson raised £1,300 to pay for pain-killers, pens, paper, dental supplies and false limbs for land-mine victims.

The convoy of volunteers was mostly left to sort out their own accommodation each night.

This varied from campsites in fields and shell-damaged rooms without water or furniture, to the last port of call at the Metropole Hotel in Calais which was clean and tidy with showers

At 27C however, Mr Johnson said the weather was a welcome contrast to October in the UK.

Mr added: "I would like to thank the Evesham Journal readers for their tremendous support.

"I raised enough money to pack my Land Rover full of vital aid and our convoy made a real difference to a town not much larger that Evesham."