A heroic Tube driver who narrowly escaped the July 7 bombings and led frantic passengers to safety during the failed July 21 attempts, has been told he has just 13 weeks to get back to his driving duties or face losing his job.

Instructor and driver Darryl Lisles, of Langham Gardens, Edgware, has been too traumatised to drive a train through a tunnel since the attacks.

But he has not missed a day of work and has been training other drivers in classrooms.

Based at Golders Green Tube station, Mr Lisles who is still receiving counselling could now face a process of redeployment.

This means staff who are medically unfit to work are given around 16 weeks to find an alternative position within the company or they could face losing their jobs.

Aslef union representative Steve Grant called the move medical termination'.

Mr Lisles was commended for his actions by Scotland Yard and Tony Blair and won an award from Transport for London for his bravery.

He could now be forced into work that does not involve driving such as a ticket officer, which would see his salary reduced by more than £14,000.

Mr Grant, who is representing Mr Lisles, criticised London Underground's policy of redeployment, saying that it was influenced through the desire to prevent a loss of earnings.

"Managers are given their own budgets and targets, and rewarded with performance-related pay.

"If you have 100 drivers and a target of 100,000 miles and ten per cent of them are off sick, you are only reaching 90,000 miles.

"Despite this, you still have to cover sick pay for the ten who are not producing mileage."

Mr Grant added: "He should not be going through this process as he keeps remembering what he saw.

"At the very least, London Underground should wait until the court case about the bombings is heard before they resurrect the issue."

A spokesman for London Underground said that the redeployment process alloweds a member of staff 16 weeks to find a new position.

"They retain their salary during this process until they find another job within the company and one that they would like to do.

"This period of time is often extended until they find a job they like it's based on individual circumstances."

He added that if Mr Lisles did not find another job within the company within 48 weeks, he could be told do his original job.

If he is then unable to do it, he would be sacked.