Reluctant 7/7 hero Paul Dadge doing it Jeremy Corbyn's way

Staffordshire born and bred, Mr Dadge featured in one of the most iconic images of the London bombings of July 7, 2005, when he was pictured guiding Davinia Douglass away from Edgware Road tube station as she held a surgical mask to her burned face.

That image, and the accompanying story of the former firefighter setting up a makeshift hospital outside a nearby Marks and Spencer, propelled him into the media spotlight.

Now he is making a bid for political office, having been selected as Labour's candidate for Cannock Chase in next month's General Election.

He has vowed to be a 'no spin' politician, says he will vote against party policy 'at every opportunity' when it goes against his personal beliefs, and likens himself to Jeremy Corbyn.

"I aim to be the complete opposite of the typical career politician," the 40-year-old told me at his campaign launch earlier this week outside Cannock Chase Council House.

"People say politicians are all the same and that they are all in it for themselves. That's not what I'm about. I'm doing this to make things better for people in the area I grew up in."

Mr Dadge's road to politics has been an unusual one to say the least.

Following 7/7 he had his phone repeatedly hacked by the News of the World. He subsequently became a prominent figure in the Hacked Off campaign against press intrusion.

But until five years ago he had no party affiliation. " I had always voted Labour but really became drawn towards the party through my work with Hacked Off," he said.

"Ed Miliband was the only politician delivering on the promises he made regarding the victims of phone hacking. "David Cameron used to tell us if an idea wasn't bonkers, he'd implement it. But he never did anything for us."

Mr Dadge says his past experience has taught him that Westminster 'is like a real life House of Cards'. "There's so many deals being cut. You have to be a clever operator," he said.

His first crack at political office ended on a sour note when he was rejected as an independent candidate in the 2008 Hatemprice and Howden by-election.

He was keen for another chance, but said the only seat in the country he would stand for was Cannock Chase.

"I'm from Norton Canes and I am passionate about the area," said the father-of-two, who runs an IT consultancy firm based at Norton Canes Business Park and also chairs a First Responders unit.

However he admits he has an almighty battle on his hands if he is to take Cannock Chase back from the Conservatives.

Amanda Milling currently holds a majority of almost 5,000, while the national picture has rarely been worse for Labour.

To compound the misery for those of a red persuasion Labour was hammered in last week's blue landslide Staffordshire County Council elections.

"I do believe we can take Cannock Chase back," he said. "Yes, we have a fight on our hands and it won't be easy."

Mr Dadge hopes his lack of political background will benefit him at the ballot box. He can draw strength from the wind of change that has seen non-politicians such as Donald Trump and Andy Street win elections in recent times.

But he denies that Labour's chances of victory on June 8 have been hindered by Jeremy Corbyn.

"He is not everybody's cup of tea, but a lot of the time he is being lambasted for being genuine," said Mr Dadge.

"I don't agree with all of his policies, but we are very similar in some ways.

"He talks from the heart and as an MP he followed his own values, which didn't always match those of the party.

"I've already had some unpleasant comments from people who don't like the fact that I've alligned myself with Jeremy Corbyn and Labour.

"I know I can't please everyone."

Mr Dadge comes across as confident and charismatic, as you might expect from someone who has played the role of the media darling.

He is more than happy to talk about the events of 7/7, and says his time in the national spotlight has opened up a world of opportunities for him.

But mention the word 'hero' and his face contorts into a awkward scowl.

"I still hate it to this day," he says of the hero tag.

"I was called it in the papers on July 8 and it has been that way ever since. I wasn't a hero. I'm the type of person that will always try and help people. It's just my nature.

"I acted out of common sense on that day. There were real heroes on that day, but they were stuck under the ground."

He is, by his own admission, a highly emotional charcater.

At times he is prone to making off-the-cuff decisions, like when he walked onto a packed tube train in the weeks after 7/7 and ordered the entire carriage to quieten down while he relayed his personal account of the atrocity.

"The whole train went quiet and I raised about £500 for charity," he recalled.

He says he will fight the election on local issues, including the Minor Injuries Unit at Cannock Chase Hospital and the imminent closure of South Staffordshire College's Cannock campus.

He voted Remain in the EU referendum, but unsurprisingly says he will press for the best possible Brexit deal in a constituency where nearly 70 per cent voted Leave.

"The election campaign has only just started and I want to get out there and meet as many people as possible," said Mr Dadge.

He's sure to be a popular figure on the campaign trail - just don't call him a hero.