Family thanks the heroes who saved Manchester bomb victim Lucy's life

Lucy Jarvis, from Winstanley, celebrated her 18th birthday with a party at the family home this weekend. After the youngster blew out her candles, her dad, Dave Jarvis, gave a moving speech in front of close family and friends.

Among the attendees were the two arena technicians, John “Clarky” Clarkson and Paul Worsley, who stayed with Lucy for two hours amid the chaos as she waited for critical medical assistance.

The Runshaw College student, who had attended the Ariana Grande concert with her best friend Amelia Tomlinson, was injured when shrapnel hit her in the abdomen and legs.

Mr Jarvis told party guests: “Just want to say a massive thank you to everybody for all the support you have given us over this last four an a half months.

I can’t tell you what we have been through but without you it would’ve been a lot harder.

“And we are here, and you’re all here and can we just raise a toast; my beautiful girl Lucy on her 18th birthday.

“While you’re all here just something else I want to add. When this thing happened it was chaos, it was a very dangerous place.

“These two gentlemen are here tonight and they were there that night and they made their way into a bomb area.

“They found Lucy and they saved her, and they really did. They spent two hours with her, getting her to an ambulance.

“But without them this may not be happening and even though I have told them a dozen times, I’ll tell them a dozen times again for the next 10 years because they are absolutely superheroes and they deserve every accolade, every round of applause.

“Even though they are reluctant heroes. It’s absolutely fantastic.”

Lucy’s aunty, Liz Duncan, told the Observer both men were heroes.

She said: “Even after being approached by armed police they refused to leave her.

“I found a post on twitter the day after as they wanted to know if she’d survived.

“I spoke to them and since then they have visited her in hospital and met up at the arena.

“Last night they were called heroes which they were adamant they weren’t. They are so humble but deserved of the accolades Dave gave them. It was tearful.”

Lucy is now on the “long road to recovery” despite the critical condition she was in for weeks following the attack.