Oscar Knox home in Belfast after treatment setback

Oscar Knox has arrived home after an attempt at treatment in the US

Oscar Knox, the four-year-old Belfast child who has a rare form of cancer, has arrived home in Northern Ireland after a failed attempt at specialist treatment.

Oscar, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, was unable to undergo a six-month treatment in Philadelphia after a problem was discovered with his heart.

His situation deteriorated, but he has recovered enough to make the journey home.

Posting on Twitter, his family said he had arrived back on Saturday night by air ambulance.

"Flight was good and all is well," the family wrote on the social networking site.

They added that while they did not "get what we went out for" they were pleased to be home.

Writing on the Oscar Knox appeal blog his mother Leona said they felt "lost" but that they would continue to search for a treatment.

"We are back to the drawing board, and very much looking forward to fully assessing our new position with Oscar's fantastic and very supportive consultant back home," she said.

"We need some time to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down, and prepare for the next step. Whatever it may be.

"As always, in the rare times that we feel deflated, we look to Oscar for courage to keep fighting."

Oscar won the hearts of people across the world after his family set up a Twitter account to update people.

The County Antrim family raised £250,000 to pay for the immunotherapy treatment.

The aim of the treatment was to clear up any neuroblastoma left in his body.

His parents said the treatment would have boosted his immune system to fight the cancer if it was ever to come back.