A baby boy was recovering in hospital today after undergoing a 10-hour liver transplant operation to save his life.

Tiny Lennox Nicholson underwent the organ transplant at the world famous St James's Hospital in Leeds yesterday after being given only days to live.

Doctors said the operation had gone well but the next few days were crucial to see whether the operation had been a success.

Parents Simon Nicholson, 21, and Amy Robinson, 20, from Guisborough, in Teesside, were keeping a bedside vigil hoping their six-month-old son pulls through.

Last week the couple made a desperate appeal for help and said their son had less than 14 days to live unless he had the operation.

Lennox underwent the operation yesterday morning just hours after the hospital, known as ''Jimmy's'', had found a suitable liver.

Surgeons used half of a donated adult liver for Lennox and the other half was used - at the same time - to save the life of an unnamed adult patient.

It is hoped that the new organ will grow into a full-size liver and will allow Lennox to lead a normal life.

When he was born on June 21, weighing 7lb 1oz, at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, Lennox appeared to be healthy.

But within weeks he developed jaundice and chronic liver problems.

An eight-hour operation found his bile ducts were completely blocked and the only way to save his life was to give him a transplant.

On Saturday, Mr Nicholson said he and his partner had not given up hope that a donor would be found in time to save Lennox's life.

''We go to bed every night with butterflies thinking this will be the night he will get his transplant,'' he said.

''We have a pager with us at all times if we ever leave the hospital in case something happens. We're both confident it will.''

A spokesman for The Leeds Hospitals NHS Trust said: ''Lennox is doing well and he is currently stable in the paediatric intensive care unit. ''The operation went as well as could be expected and the next few days will be crucial for Lennox.''