Survivor of 7/7 has 'new perspective on life'

A survivor of the 7/7 London bombings said the attacks had given him a "completely different perspective on life".

Bruce Lait, a dancer from Ipswich, had travelled into London for a rehearsal and was on the Tube between Liverpool Street and Aldgate when a bomb went off in the carriage he was in.

It was one of a series of attacks across London's transport system that led to 52 people losing their lives and left more than 700 injured on 7 July 2005.

"It makes you value life and it makes you want to do the best in whatever you do," he said.

Mr Lait said he had moved on, but would spend the 20th anniversary remembering those who had lost their lives.

He was travelling on the Circle Line with his dance partner, Crystal Yelland.

They had sat down and he was reading a newspaper when "the next second I was knocked out cold and I didn't know where I was".

"When I came to I was greeted by this devastating scene; it was dark, it was smoky, there was a light at either end from the other carriages," he said.

"There were dead bodies to my left and there was a person laying across the top of me.

"It was a horrible scene to see and witness, but I'm thankful me and my dance partner survived. I'm very grateful for that."

He suffered facial burns, injuries from glass and his eardrums burst, which needed an operation. He still only has 60% hearing in his left ear.

Mr Lait, who runs the Lait Dance School in Ipswich, said his way to deal with the trauma was to talk about it.

He said as well as giving him "a completely different perspective on life" it had made him "enjoy life, because it can be taken away tomorrow - enjoy it whilst you've got it".

"Previous to the explosion, my life was all about trying to become a world champion dancer and be the best I can competitively," he said.

"After that, me and my partner Crystal decided to do a dance show that was travelling the country and eventually it went to South Africa and [Las] Vegas.

He said he and his dance partner "wanted to have a different life to what we had before".

"It toured all around and I met my wife while doing this show..."

"Now I have a wonderful family because of it."

Among those Mr Lait was remembering were Richard Ellery, 21, and Richard Gray, 41, also both from Ipswich, who died in the Aldgate bombing.

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