A Russian scientist who helped pioneer a revolutionary technique to help people walk again has been axed from his role with a Sussex charity.

Patients will have to travel abroad for treatment from Leonid Blyum after he lost his post as clinical director for the Institute for Advanced Neuromotor Rehabilitation in East Grinstead.

The charity Advance, which runs the institute, has said his treatment methods were being successfully continued.

Institute director Linda Scotson also said Mr Blyum's interest in running the centre as a business conflicted with their charity approach.

But some patients, such as 35-year-old Steve Collins, have vowed to follow Mr Blyum to Belgium rather than return to the institute in Station Road, East Grinstead.

Medics told Mr Collins he would never walk again after he snapped his spine in a driving accident six years ago.

Two years ago he became one of the first British people to start a treatment method pioneered by Mr Blyum and colleagues at the University of Moscow.

The Russian team linked up with Advance, which works mainly with children suffering from cerebral palsy.

The treatment uses psychology, specialised exercise and physiotherapy to bring life back to dormant blood cells.

Patients are meant to see their consultants five times a year to be given specific exercises and to have changes to their body monitored.

Mr Collins, of Effingham Lane, Copthorne, near Crawley, has made significant progress in the past two years.

He managed to stand up briefly in his local pub at Christmas and dared to let go of the bar with one hand to shake hands with friends.

He hopes to be on his feet regularly by the end of the year and eventually to walk again.

But he was disappointed by the decision to end the collaboration with Mr Blyum.

The Home Office withdrew Mr Blyum's work permit when the charity stopped sponsoring his work and he is now based in Belgium.

Mr Collins said: "He is the person I have been working with all along and the person I have the most faith in. I have much better control of my legs and body now. It will cost more to travel abroad, for me and my therapist, but I am determined to keep Mr Blyum as my consultant."

Mr Collins has written asking for support for Mr Blyum from his MP Peter Ainsworth, who has pledged to look into the matter.

Mrs Scotson founded Advance eight years ago. The charity has nine members of staff and treats about 140 children and some adults.

Mrs Scotson said it made sense not to renew their working agreement with Mr Blyum.

She said: "We had got involved with them because I discovered they were working on similar lines to research we were doing already.

"It was a useful collaboration but it was no longer necessary to pursue the research further. We also had differences in outlook, whether to run it more as a charity or a business."

She said a few patients decided to remain with Mr Blyum but numbers attending the centre had increased.

Advance has just started working with Bradford University on a study of the institute's methods and their results.