Radiographer helped identify bodies after 7/7 bombings in temporary morgue

A RADIOGRAPHER who helped bring war criminals to justice whilst working for the United Nations (UN) in the war-torn former Yugoslavia played a crucial role in the aftermath of the London bombings.
In 2000, Wayne Hoban (pictured) teamed up with UN forensic experts to gather evidence from mass graves in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
He had to X-ray thousands of the dead to find cause of death and also X-ray bags suspected of being booby trapped with grenades or razor blades.
His work helped bring many war criminals to justice.
After returning from the Balkans in 2002, Mr Hoban – now the superintendent radiographer at the Royal Free Hospital – decided to set up a team of emergency response radiographers in anticipation of a terrorist attack in London.
On July 7, Mr Hoban’s team went into action as bombs ripped through the city. His specialist team, The Association of Forensic Radiographers, were immediately called upon to equip and co-ordinate the X-ray service at a temporary mortuary in the City Road, King’s Cross.
For three weeks, Mr Hoban helped police identify bomb blast victims by comparing post mortem radiology and dental X-ray records with those in the victims’ medical records.
Mr Hoban later learnt that one of an ex-colleague from the radiography department at St Thomas’s hospital died in the bombings.
Mr Hoban spoke of his horrific experience.
He said: “I was glad that I only found that out after I left the mortuary. We were already under considerable demands. I could have easily come across her in a body bag. That would have been too much.
Since Mr Hoban returned from the former Yugoslavia he has lobbied the government to bring radiography into the digital age.
And for the first time in the UK, digital and computed radiography systems were employed in the temporary mortuary.
Mr Hoban believed the digital system was an invaluable resource.
He said: “Digital X-ray images can be manipulated on a display screen, allowing a variety of different structures to be visualised on the same image.”