A WORLD class engineering company in North Yorkshire has earned praise for its part in trying to bring a smile to the face of tragic Ali Abbas, the Baghdad boy who was terribly injured by a US rocket in the Iraq war.

Claro Precision Engineering, of Knaresborough, revealed today that it manufactured the complex and crucial component which operates the thumb on a prosthetic hand designed by Leeds manufacturer RSL Steeper.

The Leeds company was hoping that it could provide parts for a prosthetic limb for the 13-year-old who lost both arms and suffered 60 per cent burns in the attack on his home which killed his parents and 13 other family members.

In the end, the limbs supplied to Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, which specialises in treating amputees, came from German rival Otto Bok although RSL Steeper provided the hand battery.

But Claro, which is holder of the GTMA World Class Award for manufacturing, was praised for its accuracy.

Brent Pickles, operations manager at RSL Steeper's manufacturing facility in Leeds, said his company had just produced its MK4 Electric hand and Claro had been involved in the work from prototype stage through to the finished product.

"These are high-precision, high-quality instruments, with parts made to high tolerance levels, as they have to be a reliable replacement for adult and children's hands. This level of quality is what we get with Claro."

Claro's sales director Mike Lewis, said: "We were asked to supply a thumb trunion. The key factors in the work were quality and precision - both of which qualities Claro has been providing for years.

"We have a proven track record in producing excellent quality precision products and this is backed up by an ISO 9000/2000 quality system

"As well as the type of component produced for RSL Steeper, we also manufacture and refurbish implants and arthroscopic tools and a wide-range of instruments for use in surgery."

Howard Chadwick, managing director of Claro, which employs 45 people, said: "We are very aware of the complex needs of the medical industry and certainly have the capability and level of expertise needed to produce high quality precision components for medical and many other demanding industries."

Updated: 11:10 Friday, December 19, 2003