A WORCESTER soldier who lost both his legs and an arm in Afghanistan has achieved his dream of standing to receive a medal from the Prince of Wales.

Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, who was horrifically injured by a roadside booby trap while on patrol in July, used prosthestic limbs and a crutch to stand shoulder to shoulder with comrades and meet Prince Charles at the Parachute Regiment’s passing out ceremony in Essex yesterday.

There was rousing applause as L/Cpl Neathway, aged 25, stepped forward from his wheelchair to receive the operational medal from the prince, colonel-in-chief of the regiment.

He said: “Today was a bit of a milestone for me. One of my goals was to stand to receive the medal, then walk to the chair. It wasn’t hard to do but it was hard to be able to do. It’s taken me two months of hard work – it probably should have taken longer. Now I just want to crack on. My next goal is to get back to work.”

L/Cpl Neathway, who lives with parents Alan and Amanda and sisters Lauren and Charlotte in Worcester, is a proud supporter of Help for Heroes, the campaign to raise money for injured soldiers, and Hedley Court, the rehabilitation centre in Surrey where he has been recovering.

He has also said that losing three limbs had not changed his life.

He said: “I may be in a wheelchair and look different from the outside, but I’m the same person. I still go out on the lash with my mates and I hope to be back driving in January.”

More than 500 paratroopers received medals at the Paratroopers ceremony at their base in Colchester.

It was the first time Mr and Mrs Neathway had seen their son, a former Bishop Perowne High School and St Barnabas Primary School pupil, walk again.

Mr Neathway, a 57-year-old builder, said: “It was very emotional seeing him stand up. I was very proud. He’s just an amazing kid.”

L/Cpl Neathway, who joined the Army as a teenager straight out of college, was one of seven seriously injured soldiers from 2 Para battalion on parade.