THIS is the picture Daily Echo readers have been longing to see. Tragic motorcycle accident victim Wayne Howard heads off for vital brain injury treatment in German - all thanks to you.

The 34-year-old father of three, of Porlock Road, Millbrook, Southampton, was an all-action motorbike racer and martial artist before the road accident which wrecked his life.

He had to have his right leg amputated and suffered severe brain damage, which means he sometimes cannot recognise his own children - Jayd, ten, Jordan, eight, and Connor, five.

His future looked bleak until the family discovered Germany's Schmeider Clinic, which works wonders with brain injury victims. The only difficulty was the price - £25,000 - which was no problem once the Daily Echo brought Wayne's plight to readers' attention.

Five months on, local people have organised hundreds of weird and wonderful events and dug deep into their pockets to raise the money in double quick time. As he boarded the specially laid-on air ambulance at Southampton Airport yesterday, Wayne gave his trademark thumbs-up thanks to the city people that got him there.

Mum Isobel said: "It is quite a momentous day. We are all a little bit nervous and apprehensive but excited as well. Everybody has helped us to get to this point - there's been a few months when we have thought about nothing else and it is finally happening."

She said Wayne was excited too.

"He always loved travelling so he'll enjoy it."

Wayne's partner Tracy said the children were happy he was going to get treatment.

"The kids said goodbye to him before they went to school. They are excited and they can't wait to go over there in the half-term."

Wayne flew directly to the clinic in Magdeburg on the restful shores of Germany's Lake Constance. He is scheduled to begin an intensive eight-week course of therapy tomorrow.