Last trade centre survivor leaves hospital

The last man to be pulled alive from the remains of the World Trade Centre has left hospital and vowed to return to his work as a police officer.

Port Authority Police Sergeant John McLoughlin was trapped for 22 hours in a pocket in the debris after the collapse of the towers.

He was dug out by hand after being spotted by an ex-soldier who had rushed to the scene to help the rescue effort.

Sgt McLoughlin has spent the last four months in hospital being treated for a series of injuries and today left in a wheelchair, vowing he would walk again.

The father-of-four, sitting in his wheelchair with his youngest daughter on his knee, cried as he said: "I just want to get back to normal life."

Two of the officers from his four-man team died and he and the other man was trapped as the buildings collapsed.

They had been standing at the base of the towers preparing to take rescue equipment up the stairs to aid firefighters when they collapsed.