A Manchester arena bomb survivor has visited the set of Coronation Street to help actor Alan Halsall with research for his spinal injury storyline.

Martin Hibbert and his wife Gabby met with Alan and on-screen wife Fiz, played by Jennie McAlpine, to share their own experience of living with a spinal cord injury.

“I’m so impressed that Coronation Street has chosen to tell this important story. Spinal cord injury can happen to anyone, at any time, and having such a big TV programme shine a light on the realities of living with it will make a huge difference,” Martin said.

Martin is the Vice President of the Spinal Injuries Association. The charity has worked with the Coronation Street research team and advised on scripts.

He was the closest casualty to the Manchester arena bomb blast to survive, suffering 22 shrapnel wounds and undergoing lifesaving surgery at Salford Royal Hospital.

Martin’s spine was severed by shrapnel, leaving him with a T10 complete spinal cord injury and paralysed from the waist down.

Alan and Jennie said their visit with Martin and Gabby gave them “real insight” into the life of someone living with or caring for someone with a life changing injury.

Alan said: “We are so grateful to Martin and Gabby for giving up their time to talk to us about their experiences. We might be telling this story on screen but at the end of the day we go home to our family and friends and leave behind what the characters are going through.

“Even just trying to negotiate getting round the set in the wheelchair has been a real eyeopener for me so to hear Martin’s own stories about how his life has changed has been really helpful and also humbling.”

Martin hopes the storyline will help start vital conversations about life after a spinal cord injury.

He added: “It was an honour for Gabby and I to share our experience and see first-hand the care and respect the team are putting into getting this right.”