Injured soldier Ben Parkinson hopeful after spine op

A British soldier who suffered brain damage and lost both his legs in an attack in Afghanistan is hoping an operation on his spine will help him achieve his dream of walking unaided again.

Paratrooper Ben Parkinson, from Doncaster, suffered more than 40 injuries and was not expected to survive when his vehicle detonated a landmine in 2006.

Since then, he has carried the 2012 Olympic flame through his home town flanked by hundreds of people as he walked on prosthetic legs for nearly half an hour with an assistant.

He has also taken part in several long-distance challenges.

L/Bdr Parkinson says he is hopeful his latest operation will help him to progress further.

You can see this story in full on BBC Inside Out Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at 19:30 BST on BBC One on Monday 4 September, or via iPlayer for seven days afterwards.