A HOSPITAL is in talks with the firm which employs the Libyan father of sextuplets born in Britain in a bid to recover the estimated £500,000 treatment costs.

Jamal Abuhelfaia, 38, and his wife Fowzia Adala, 30, arrived in the UK on July 10 after undergoing fertility treatment in their own country.

The couple's six babies - weighing between 12oz and 2lb - were delivered by Caesarian section at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) on August 9.

The smallest child, a girl, died three days later, but the surviving three girls and two boys have been moved out of intensive care and are said to be progressing well. It is estimated the total cost of treatment to the hospital will run to £500,000.

Mr Abuhelfaia obtained a British visa after being offered places on two courses at the University of Northumbria.

Now bosses at the Newcastle Hospitals' Trust have entered into discussions with Mr Abuhelfaia's employer - the Italian-based Agip Oil - about the possibility of recouping the costs.

Each of the babies required intensive care - taking up five of the hospital's 12 neonatal beds.

The couple sold their story and pictures of the babies to a newspaper for a five-figure sum and Mr Abduhelfaia said he would donate the payment to the RVI.

Trust chief executive Len Fenwick said: "As yet it is still not clear whether or not the father intends to take up his place at the university and register as a student.

"But we are currently in dialogue with his employer about reimbursement for the cost of care and treatment."