91Èȱ¬

A woman from Tyneside who survived the 7/7 London bombings in 2005 will feature in next week's Inside Out programme for the North East and Cumbria as she takes control and conquers her fears by detonating landmines, getting back on a bus and skydiving from 13,000 feet.

Lisa French from Newcastle was travelling to a meeting in London on 7/7 when she was redirected from the Tube station to the nearby number 30 bus service.

Unbeknown to her, once on the bus, she was sitting just inches away from the man carrying a bomb that exploded killing 13 people.

Lisa says she still doesn't have any recollection of the blast itself but remembers waking up on the bus, spitting out her two front teeth and noticing that the woman next to her had just woken up.

"It was at this point that I realised something was wrong," says Lisa.

She then realised that the bus no longer had any windows or a roof and describes the scene immediately behind her on the bus as "horrific".

Close to the scene of the incident, and four years later, Lisa tells presenter Chris Jackson: "It doesn't get any easier."

Lisa's husband, Russ, says that the first two to three years were very hard for her, describing her as "low". He also says that she struggled being around large crowds of people.

Her sister recounts a time not long after the incident when seeing a double-decker bus on the street caused Lisa great difficulty.

Another person on the bus, Giles Hart, was due at the same meeting as Lisa but died in the explosion.

Since his death, Lisa has learnt that he had been active in fighting for human rights all over the world, and has become an inspiration to her.

"To hear how driven Giles was and how active in everything he was makes you realise that you have to live your life like that... I can't blow my second chance," she says.

Lisa's determination to overcome her fears, and to make every day count, takes her to Cambodia, a country that is littered with landmines following civil war.

Here she embarks on a house-building project for a landmine victim and survivor – a project funded and facilitated by the charity Mines Advisory Group (MAG).

"I think I've got a bit of empathy for a lot of people in this country and it's a good way of putting my experience into some positive action," says Lisa.

Lisa then travels to an area of Cambodia that is still heavily affected with unexploded landmines and takes control by learning how to detonate them.

The debris, Lisa says, looks familiar to her – like the debris on the bus.

After Lisa's trip to Cambodia she returns to London to conquer her next fear – taking a bus trip.

Presenter Chris Jackson accompanies her as she eventually makes her way to the top deck and points out the exact seat on the bus that she was sat on four years ago.

She says that seeing a bus full of people makes her feel sick.

Lisa also takes great comfort in meeting Chris Symonds, the man who helped her off the bus on that day.

Chris, who worked for the Transport Police and whose ship was hit when he was serving in the Falklands War, can relate to Lisa's experience and says that Lisa has done a remarkable job in her recovery.

Lisa's last challenge is to challenge presenter Chris Jackson to overcome his fear – sky diving from 13,000 feet.

After they both land safely Chris asks her whether life still holds any fears for her now.

"It does... but I know I can get over them," says Lisa.

Inside Out, 91Èȱ¬ One North East & Cumbria, Monday 2 November 2009, 7.30-8.00pm

Notes to Editors

Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is a humanitarian organisation and co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize; it was founded in Cockermouth, Cumbria in 1989. MAG's work encompasses clearing all types of unexploded ordnance. It trains and employs members of local communities, ensuring they get the maximum benefit from its operations.

RF