A PWLLHELI soldier who was victim of a suicide bomb attack has given his time and energy to help mental health patients across north Wales.

Ronnie Devlin lived with post-traumatic stress disorder, a twisted spine and balance problems after surviving a blast from a suicide bomber in the first Gulf War.

The former Royal Artillery sergeant is now mentoring other north Wales service veterans, who are revamping gardens around the Ablett Psychiatric Unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan.

They are working with the Change Step programme, a service delivered by forces veterans, for ex service personnel with PTSD and other psychosocial problems who want to make positive changes to their lives.

At the Ablett unit the volunteers have spruced up the patients’ garden, renovated and stained garden benches and chairs and planted flowers and shrubs.

Ronnie, who now lives in Pwllheli, served for 25 years as a Royal Artillery sergeant and saw tours in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq. He said: “I saw everything I didn’t want to see in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. I lost colleagues and suffered a twisted spine and a balance disorder after a suicide bomber blew himself up next to the vehicle I was in. I’m still affected by that today.”

See the full story in this week’s Arfon/Dwyfor edition of the Cambrian News