THE Staffordshire man man thrust into the limelight by his efforts to help victims of the July 7 London bombings said the inquest into the attack had helped lay to rest his own feelings of guilt.

Paul Dadge, aged 34, was photographed helping victim Davina Turrell across the road in the aftermath of the blasts which killed 52 and injured 700, including University of Birmingham graduate Samantha Badham, aged 35.

Four suicide bombers detonated bombs on three packed tube trains at Aldgate, Edgware Road and Russell Square and a bus in Tavistock Square during the morning rush hour.

Mr Dadge, from Stafford, was quickly hailed a hero for his efforts to help injured commuters as they poured out of Edgware Road where six passengers died.

But the former retained firefighter told the Birmingham Mail he always felt guilty for not making his way down into the underground tunnels to help save more lives.

Giving a verdict of unlawful death of the 52 commuters, Lady Justice Hallett said the victims would have died no matter how quickly the emergency services responded – such was the severity of the injuries.

She said delays did not lead to more deaths but called on emergency services, Transport for London and MI5 to review their responses to terrorist attacks.

Speaking after the verdict, Mr Dadge, who now runs an IT business, said: “I always felt a level of guilt for not going underground, guilt I could have saved somebody’s life.

“That’s carried with me for the last six years. Knowing now, no matter what anybody did, those lives couldn’t be saved is a reassurance. I hope it’s some reassurance for their families that their loved ones didn’t suffer.”