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7/7 Survivor Goes Back To Bombers' Hometown

Gill Hicks, a survivor of the 7 July bomb attacks, has made an emotional return to Beeston - the small Leeds suburb where three of the four suicide bombers grew up.

Mohammed Siddique Khan, Shezhad Tanweer and Habib Hussain launched a coordinated attack on London's transport system during the morning rush hour in 2005.

Fourth suicide bomber Jermaine Lindsay also took part in the attacks that killed 52 people and injured hundreds of others.

Miss Hicks, an Australian designer, was travelling to work that morning on the Piccadilly line between Kings Cross and Russell Square when her train was blown up. Her injuries were so bad that she was not expected to survive. She lost both legs.

Miss Hicks returned to live in Australia after the attack where she now devotes her life to peace activism.

On returning to Britain to attend memorial services to mark the tenth anniversary of the bombings, she joined Sky News on a return to the West Yorkshire community that was home to the bombers. She first went there in 2007.

"When I first went to Beeston what I felt very strongly from that area was a great pain. There was a great sorrow that their boys had done such a horrific act and I wanted to be the bridge of that pain," she said.

There is no doubt that Miss Hicks' act of reaching out and extending a hand of friendship helped Beeston to cope with what had happened. It probably protected the community too.

Following the revelations that the bombers had grown up in this community Beeston braced itself for a violent backlash. The accusation that people did nothing despite knowing about the murderous intent of the three men refused to go away.

Qari Asim, the chief imam at the Makkah Mosque in Leeds, said: "The community was in a sense of shock. They definitely felt that fingers were being pointed at them.

"Then there was that stepping back and thinking 'Could my neighbour do the same thing?'"

Mr Asim had been appointed chief imam at the mosque near Beeston just a few months before the 7/7 bombings despite being just 25 years old at the time.

The community leader told the peace campaigner that he had personally been inspired by her work and used it as a basis for engaging with young congregation members.

Miss Hicks now counts the community workers in Beeston among her closest friends and sees their work as vital in preventing another terror strike in Britain. These were relationships forged in the most testing of circumstances.

Hanif Malik, founder of Beeston's Hamara Community Centre, said he was overcome with emotion after being reunited with Miss Hicks after eight years.

Introducing the survivor to his team, he said: "Those of you who know me, know I am rarely lost for words. But I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"She, Gill, was absolutely instrumental. She came up with some amazing initiatives. She was the key note speaker at our conference and after she finished speaking there was barely a dry eye in the house.

"It's not often I use the word inspired, but Gill's somebody who hugely inspired me and still influences our work today."

Miss Hicks was clearly overwhelmed too. She wiped away tears from moist eyes as Mr Malik spoke.

Before leaving Beeston to return to London, Miss Hicks told Sky News that she remained hopeful for the future.

She said: "Humanity will prevail. The last decade my work has been to continuously work for a peace for us to know in our lifetime and I will continue on that journey so that my two-year-old daughter can grow up in a world free of violent extremism. That's really important to me."