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A London nurse has won the top prize in a London photography competition with an incredible picture capturing a Tube station packed with smiling commuters.

Luke Collins, 33, only took up photography five months ago but has now been crowned winner of the ES London’s competition with his stunning entry taken at Bank Underground station.

The cardiac nurse, who works at St Thomas’ Hospital, managed to get a full Tube station of people to look at his camera for the shot, which was taken on a busy Monday rush hour.

Mr Collins, who lives in Borough, told the Standard: “I have been living in London for about six years and I remember thinking one day, a long time ago, that Bank station has a really nice curve.

“I thought it would make a really nice shot, you can see everyone down the line.

“I had been wanting to do it for some time but it requires some balls. You know what Londoners are like, and it was a Monday as well, after work.”

He put out a message on the internet through his instagram account, @6stops, and recruited the help of three other men, who accompanied him along with a loudspeaker to the Tube station.

Mr Collins, originally from Maidstone, said: “I have to give full credit to Elliott, he got up on the platform seat and said to me, are you ready?

“I was on the platform before the curve and Elliott was on the seat. He said really loudly: ‘Ladies and gentleman’ and it just went dead silent.

“He said a little spiel and then three, two, one. I took some shots. At first they didn’t really engage and at that point, Steve, another of the guys I was with, got everyone going.

“And they responded amazingly.”

The shot, taken in a four minute gap between trains, has since been liked tens of thousands of times and has been praised for capturing London at its best: diverse and welcoming.

Mr Collins said: “There’s something about that shot.

“The people’s reactions surprised me and it didn’t surprise me. Londoners are known for being ‘don’t talk to me’ kind of thing but actually it’s not really that.

“People just want to get where they are going. But if you engage, people like that.

“When I look back on the shot it really is amazing. It really did encapsulate quite well the diversity of London. There’s old people, young people, different races.”

He added he is delighted about winning the competition and added things have got “absolutely crazy”.

The photo has been called “epic” by Londoners who have said it captures London as “the best city in the world”.

Mr Collins has won the chance to do a photo blog, tickets to the Sony World Photography Awards and a camera worth £1,000.

The competition was held in conjunction with the @London Instagram group.