NOMINATIONS have been coming in from across the region for this year’s Pride of Gwent Awards.

One nominee’s life changed when a bomb was detonated on a circle line train in London on July 7, 2005.

Daniel Biddle, who lives in Abergavenny, was the most seriously injured survivor of the July 7 attacks. He lost both legs, an eye and his spleen and his life changed forever.

Now he has been nominated for a Pride of Gwent Achiever Award for overcoming adversity and for the voluntary work he does with Gwent Police to train their officers to have a greater understanding of disability issues and disability hate crime.

Mr Biddle said: “I was surprised, when I was told about the award nomination.

“I try to raise awareness of the issues disabled people face and try to help improve the lives of disabled people in Gwent.”

Before that fateful day he says he wasn’t aware of the issues that disabled people face in their daily lives.

He said: “We live in a bubble when it comes to disability and people often look at you with sympathy and empathy.

"What 7/7 showed me that life can change in a blink of an eye, whether that’s an accident, illness or terrorist attack. The roadway we chose in life gets altered, but it can be better a better path.”

Mr Biddle was standing next to a suicide bomber on the train that had just left Edgware Road station.

He remembers the entire result from the moment the bomb went off to the aftermath being trapped in the tunnel to the moment he was sedated in hospital.

As a result of those events he says suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

He says he tried to kill himself three times in 2013, but that his world changed when he met his wife Gem on Facebook. She has stuck by his side through his treatment.

He said: "Meeting Gem was a turning point for me. If it wasn’t for Gem I wouldn’t be able to be nominated for an award because I wouldn’t be here."

Mr Biddle now a member of the Independent Advisory Group for Gwent Police and contributed to hate crime awareness events.

His work provided senior police officers with greater knowledge of disability awareness allowing them to implement this in to their equality strategy.

He said: "I do enjoy it, in life you get very few opportunities to do things that make a difference.

"I get involved in training officers and on the advisory group.

"I'm involved in raising disability issues and I hope it gives disabled people more confidence when dealing with the police.

"The officers I have met are a credit to the service and I hope that their enthusiasm and compassion continues in future police officers."

There is still time to send in your nominations for the Pride in Gwent Awards.

We have received nominations from across the region and have heard about amazing work being done in our communities.

There are 15 awards that celebrate the work that unsung heroes do every day.

The finalists will be chosen from the nominations and invited to the awards event that will take place at the Coldra Court Hotel in Newport on May 25.

You can nominate someone for free until March 23 at our website southwalesargus.co.uk/prideofgwent.