Woman tells of love for blinded Pc

A 7/7 survivor who grew close to Pc David Rathband before he split with his wife has told how she "loved him to bits".

Lisa French, 36, spoke about her relationship with Pc Rathband, 44, who was left blind after being shot by gunman Raoul Moat, a day after the former traffic officer's funeral.

In an interview with The Sun Sunday, she said the pair bonded after both going through life-changing experiences.

Ms French, who was on the No 30 bus that was bombed in London's Tavistock Square on July 7, 2005, told the newspaper: "He was a special man who made me happy. We just bonded after everything we had been through.

"I loved him to bits - and he loved me."

The father of two, hailed a hero for his fundraising and his attempts to rebuild his life after losing his sight and a job he adored, hanged himself at his home in Blyth, Northumberland, on February 29.

Ms French, who spoke to him that day, told the newspaper: "Despite knowing he was serious about ending it all I really thought he would make it. I thought we would find a future together."

She said their first contact came last August on Twitter, when she responded to his tweets about how he was having trouble sleeping. The pair began spending time together as his marriage broke down, the newspaper reported.

She said Pc Rathband often discussed his relationship with his wife Kath and she said she encouraged him to try to save his marriage.

Ms French was reportedly among hundreds of mourners who gathered at Stafford Crematorium on Saturday to pay tribute to Pc Rathband. His two teenage children, Ashley, 19, and Mia, 13, and their mother Mrs Rathband were also there.