Hero Met PC Liz Kenworthy retires on anniversary of 7/7 attacks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36733346

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A police officer who saved the lives of two Tube passengers during the 7/7 London bombings has retired on the 11th anniversary of the attacks.

PC Liz Kenworthy helped two fellow travellers when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives on the Circle Line train at Aldgate station.

She said she chose 7 July to leave the Met as it gave her "something positive to think about" on the day.

Fifty-two people died in the attacks, with more than 700 injured.

PC Kenworthy was off duty when the Aldgate bomb exploded. After hearing people shouting in the next carriage, she pushed her way through to help.

She described the scene as "hellish" but said she was just "doing my job" when she gave first aid and comforted two passengers.

"I did what I could in the circumstances. All I wanted to do was make sure they survived", she said.

One of those was Martine Wright, who went on to compete in the 2012 Paralympic volleyball team.

At the inquest into the attack, the coroner described the former schools liaison officer as a "very exceptional person".

She also received an MBE for bravery.

Following her retirement, PC Kenworthy said she was "looking forward to having a break and doing a few things I haven't had a chance to do".

Elsewhere, Sadiq Khan paid tribute to the victims of the attacks and the "heroic efforts of our emergency services" at a Hyde Park memorial ceremony.

"As Mayor, my first priority is to do everything possible to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again," he said.

Attack on London

The bombing of three Tube trains and a bus - carried out by four bombers linked to al-Qaeda carrying rucksacks of explosives - was the worst single terrorist atrocity on British soil.

At just after 08:50 on 7 July 2005, three explosions took place on the Underground - 26 people died at Russell Square, six at Edgware Road and seven at Aldgate.

Almost an hour later, a fourth device was set off on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square, killing 13 people.