Staff have said a fond farewell to a family of quintuplets given a clean bill of health by doctors at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital.

Proud Russian parents Dmitry and Varvara Artamkin waved goodbye to nurses and doctors as they took their five baby daughters to a temporary home nearby.

Alison Barnes, spokesman for Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Staff were delighted to have been part of something so unusual and were thrilled the girls had made such fantastic progress."

Mrs Artamkin gave birth to the quins - the first born in the UK in five years - on November 10 after defying medical advice in her native Russia.

The parents stayed in a flat in Oxford while their babies, born at just 26 weeks and weighing from 1lb 13oz to 2lb 2oz, were cared for at the hospital's renowned special care baby unit.

Mrs Artamkin, a 29-year-old music teacher, contacted consultant obstetrician Lawrence Impey when she discovered she was expecting quins.

She was advised by doctors in her own country to have selective terminations, but rejected the procedure because of her religious beliefs. All medical costs were met by a group of Russian philanthropists.

More than 30 members of staff at John Radcliffe Hospital cared for the babies and 15 of them turned up to wave goodbye.

Ms Barnes said: "Caring for babies born extremely pre-term is highly skilled and the hospital has a renowned special care baby unit."

A team of 20 doctors and nurses were involved in the girls' delivery.

Each baby was named straight after being born and they were baptised by their maternal grandfather, a Russian Orthodox priest.

Because of the huge demands of five premature babies, other hospitals in the South of England agreed to help.

Two of the babies were transferred to Queen Charlotte's Hospital, in London, and later to Stoke Mandeville, near Aylesbury.

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals chief executive Trevor Campbell Davis said: "We are all delighted that this wonderful story has such a happy ending. Everyone involved wishes the family the very best of luck."