A SOLDIER who lost both legs to a Taliban bomb blast aged just 20 has walked unaided on "bionic legs" to receive an MBE from the Queen for his charity work.

Rifleman Michael Swain, who had both legs amputated above the knee following the explosion in Afghanistan in November 2009, has undergone revolutionary surgery in Australia.

The 24-year-old soldier with Edinburgh-based 3 Rifles had titanium rods fused to his thigh bones in a procedure called osseointegration, which allow him to click on special prosthetic legs in a matter of seconds.

Picture: PA