A remote controlled mine clearance machine invented by a Leicestershire man has returned from its first field trials.

Bob French, from Melton Mowbray, has just returned from testing his invention, nicknamed Bigfoot, in Bosnia.

The tank-like machine is designed to save time and money by clearing anti-personnel mines much faster than traditional methods.

There are tens of millions of mines worldwide which kill an estimated 800 people per month

Mines cause thousands of casualties

Bigfoot was first conceived after Mr French saw a news item about Princess Diana in the minefields of Angola.

Traditional clearance methods are done by hand, making the process slow, expensive and dangerous.

Bigfoot is a tracked vehicle with ten pneumatic 'feet' attached to the front which pound the earth, setting off any mines.

The device appeared to be very successful in the Bosnian trials.

'Mineworm' device

Mr French, whose workshop is in Grantham, Lincolnshire, said: "We learned a lot about it and we were quite successful.

"The last job we did was clearing a road up to an isolated village that had mines and booby traps on it.

"The estimate for manual clearance was six to eight weeks. We did it in three hours."

Mr French has also developed "Mineworm", which works on a similar principle but uses plough-like discs instead of feet.

Computer appeal

Mineworm removes the debris left by the explosives and prepares the land for cultivation.

Mr French said: "We can clear an area equivalent to 10 football fields in a day and hope to be able to do up to 30.

"In the same amount of time a manual team of two could probably do an area the size of your front garden."

He has also put in work helping those who have been injured by landmines.

He is now appealing for spare or out-of-date computers to be donated to him.

Mr French said anyone wanting to help could ring 01476 569 989.