Paul Alexander - 'The Man in the Iron Lung' - dies after 70 years living in tank

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Paul Alexander, widely known as "Polio Paul", contracted the viral disease in the summer of 1952 when he was six years old and was left paralysed from the neck down. He was rushed to hospital in Texas - and woke up inside the metal cylinder where he would spend the rest of his life.

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Mr Alexander could leave his iron lung a few hours at a time after teaching himself to breathe, and would use a plastic stick and a pen attached to it to tap on a keyboard to communicate with people. He would go on to write the story of his life in a book titled: Three Minutes For A Dog.

His condition reportedly deteriorated during recent years, developing a persistent respiratory infection and pain in his legs every time he moved.

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