Westminster attack survivor inspired to stamp out hate

A terror attack survivor who has won praise for his work to combat radicalisation has said talking about the issue is the first key step in stamping it out.

Travis Frain was mown down by a car driven by Khalid Masood on London's Westminster Bridge in 2017.

He is now due to receive a British Citizen Award for his campaigning.

Mr Frain, of Darwen, Lancashire, said he still thinks about the attack every day.

The ordeal led him to create the Resilience in Unity Project in 2021, which records the testimonies of people affected by terror attacks in a bid to prevent people being radicalised.

The former politics student was on a trip to the capital with Edge Hill University when he was stuck by a car driven by Masood, who was shot dead by police after killing four people and injuring 50 more.

Mr Frain told BBC Radio Lancashire "not a day goes by" where he does not think about the atrocity.

He now goes into schools and colleges to share his experience and runs an educational workshop.

"I try and challenge the hate and intolerance that often underpins a lot of the ideologies that sadly motivates these attacks," he said.

"You can make these issues real for people and actually get them talking about it and I think that has got to be the first step when countering extremism."

He said the workshop was a "safe space" where "you can cut through a lot of the politics and a lot of the worries people might have about talking about these issues as sadly it is a bit of a taboo".

He said his work will be worthwhile "even if he just prevents one person from being radicalised".

"It only takes one person to carry out one of these attacks - as I know too well."

"We all have a role to play in talking about these issues and trying to get that conversation going before these people seek extreme alternatives."

Mr Travis also campaigned for a plaque to be installed on Westminster Bridge in memory of those affected, and has pushed for more support for victims of attacks.

He is being honoured for his work at the Palace of Westminster later.

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