RETIRED Kidderminster police officer Bob Anthony, who was left paralysed after a horror motorcycle crash in Thailand, is now recovering in hospital.

The crash broke the 54-year-old’s neck and left him breathing through a ventilator via a tracheotomy in a Thai hospital.

Bob was finally brought back to the UK last Monday after six weeks of fundraising by his family, who managed to raise £17,000 from donations.

According to his daughter Nadine, Bob is slowly recovering – now talking and eating – but still has a very long way to go.

“I have been to see him and we are just taking everything day by day at the moment,” she said.

“The doctors are trying to work out what is the best treatment for him as he suffered quite a complicated break.

“He is not fully on the ventilator anymore, but he still needs to work on getting his muscle strength back and getting off the ventilator completely.”

Bob emigrated to Thailand two years ago after he retired from West Mercia Police. He also served in the Royal Signals for 14 years prior to becoming a police officer.

After the crash, Bob’s family rallied round the community to help raise awareness of what had happened, and enough money to bring him home.

Nadine said: “He has received so many visits from friends and family who are all keeping him going.

“It will be a long process and he obviously needs time to recover, but even if he does recover from it, his life is going to be changed greatly.”

However, Nadine feels the hard work in trying to get Bob back to full fitness has only just begun.

She added: “Our family and friends have done all we could in getting him back here, now it is up to him to get himself better.”