A cancer sufferer who was one of the first on the scene to help people injured in the 7/7 atrocity is homeless after not being offered accommodation by a local council.

David Warman, 54, worked for St John Ambulance when four suicide bombers detonated devices in central London, killing 52 people, on July 7 2005. One of the bombs exploded aboard a bus in Bloomsbury and Mr Warman was asked to attend by a passing police officer.

For his courage, he was given a St John Ambulance exceptional service award, as well as a letter of commendation and was invited to a reception at Downing Street hosted by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. Today however he has been homeless for nearly two months and is living in his car.

Mr Warman, who has cancer and is HIV positive, told LBC: “Physically, I’ve now got lots of sores and boils. Mentally, stress is a huge problem when you have HIV. I’ve already lost a stone in weight. I’ve been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis as well. It’s been very difficult. I don’t want handouts, I just want what I thought I had - I thought I had the right to be looked after by my local council.”

He explained Bexley council had offered him housing which was “inappropriate”. He added the council claimed he rejected the offer of a flat, which he had intended to accept, prompting his long stay in the back of his car.

Speaking of his experience on 7/7, he said he saw “horrific things” as he got to work alongside three paramedics and an ambulance technician. He stayed in touch with one of those affected by the bombings he saved the life of - a man from Poland with an aortic bleed.

However his mental and physical health deteriorated in the following years and stopped working in 2011. He tried to take his own life days later and suffered a brain bleed as a result. He stopped attending reunions of victims’ families of the attacks after 2015 as he wasn’t well enough and has now been living rough for 57 days.

A spokesperson for Bexley Council told LBC it did not comment on individual cases. They have been contacted for comment by the Mirror.

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