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Manchester Arena: children among 22 dead in suicide attack at Ariana Grande concert – latest
Manchester Arena: children among 22 dead in suicide attack at Ariana Grande concert – latest
(35 minutes later)
11.09am BST
11:09
May says if others are responsible for the attack, they will be brought to justice.
The police believe that attack was carried out by one person. But they need to find out if they were acting alone.
The police think they know the identity of the perpetrator. But the police are not at this point revealing their name.
She says doctors and medical staff have worked valiantly to attend to those injured.
More resources are being devoted to the police, she says.
She says the scene around Manchester Arena will be closed for some time.
Updated
at 11.10am BST
11.06am BST
11:06
May says the police were called to Manchester Arena at 10.33pm. A single terrorist detonated a device near the exit, at a time and place intended to cause maximum injuries.
All terrorist attacks are terrible, but this stands out for its cowardice, she says.
She says, in addition to the attacker, 22 people have died, and 59 people are being treated in hospital. Many have life-threatening injuries, she says.
Updated
at 11.09am BST
11.05am BST
11:05
Theresa May's statement
Theresa May is making her statement about the Manchester attack in Downing Street.
She says she has just chaired a Cobra meeting.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those affected.
The people of Manchester have fallen victim to a “callous terrorist attack”, she says.
It is the worst attack Manchester has suffered, and the worst to hit the north of England.
Updated
at 11.06am BST
11.01am BST
11:01
Jamie Grierson
Blood donor centres in Manchester have seen a surge in would-be donors presenting themselves to help and offer their blood, writes Jamie Grierson.
However, the centres are fully stocked and fully booked for appointments.
Jane Green, chief nurse at the Plymouth Donor Centre, opposite the Manchester Royal Infirmary, said they had been overwhelmed by the response of people arriving to donate blood but were turning spontaneous arrivals away as the centre was fully stocked and had a fully booked day of pre-arranged appointments.
10.55am BST
10:55
Burnham announces vigil in Manchester
The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, says a vigil will be held for the victims in Manchester tonight. “We will never be beaten,” he says.
He urges people not to jump to conclusions about the attacker. He condemns the attacker as an extremist who doesn’t represent any community.
Updated
at 10.59am BST
10.54am BST
10:54
Ewen MacAskill
The government is not planning to increase the threat level to “critical” in the aftermath of the Manchester attack.
The threat level has been at “severe”, the fourth highest ranking, since 2014. Moving it on to the fifth and highest level would only be done if the police and intelligence services feared another attack was imminent.
MI5, which has a regional office in the north-west of England, has been been working through the night with police.
Much of the focus of the investigation is on where the attacker, who was killed in the attack, obtained the ingredients for making a bomb. Details of how to make a bomb can be found on the internet, but a degree of training is usually needed to succeed in detonating it.
With the amount of CCTV footage available, the police could have been able to quickly establish the identity of the attacker.
Updated
at 10.57am BST
10.53am BST
10:53
Theresa May has spoken to President Trump about the attack, the White House has announced.
.@POTUS has spoken with U.K. Prime Minister @theresa_may to offer condolences and support on behalf of the US #manchesterattack
10.41am BST
10:41
The love and solidarity of Mancunians shone through in their immediate response to the attack on the arena, writes Owen Jones.
Yesterday, Manchester was one of the greatest cities on earth, and it remains so today. The warmth, the solidarity, the unique Manc humour, all of that will thrive as much as it ever did. This was the city that helped bequeath modern industrial civilisation; it is a hurricane of creativity and talent, like the music of Oasis and the Smiths, the art of Lowry, Corrie, the football, the athletes, the comedians, the suffragettes, the LGBT activists.
Updated
at 10.47am BST
10.33am BST
10.33am BST
10:33
10:33
Manchester police has again urged the public to avoid the city centre while emergency services work at the scene of the attack.
Manchester police has again urged the public to avoid the city centre while emergency services work at the scene of the attack.
Please avoid Manchester city centre as emergency services still working at the scene of last night’s incident at Manchester Arena
Please avoid Manchester city centre as emergency services still working at the scene of last night’s incident at Manchester Arena
pic.twitter.com/9NaaVVQay3
pic.twitter.com/9NaaVVQay3
Updated
Updated
at 10.36am BST
at 10.36am BST
10.31am BST
10.31am BST
10:31
10:31
Our flag has been lowered as a mark of respect for those affected by last night's terror attack. Our thoughts & prayers are with Manchester. pic.twitter.com/RM4d1cRvQI
Our flag has been lowered as a mark of respect for those affected by last night's terror attack. Our thoughts & prayers are with Manchester. pic.twitter.com/RM4d1cRvQI
10.29am BST
10.29am BST
10:29
10:29
Channel 4 News has been speaking to AJ Singh, one of the Manchester taxi drivers who offered free rides to those caught up in the attack.
Channel 4 News has been speaking to AJ Singh, one of the Manchester taxi drivers who offered free rides to those caught up in the attack.
“Manchester, we’re glue. We stick together when it counts,” he said.
“Manchester, we’re glue. We stick together when it counts,” he said.
Taxi drivers, hotel workers and the emergency services have worked through the night to help those caught up in the Manchester attack pic.twitter.com/tElF2ekm41
Taxi drivers, hotel workers and the emergency services have worked through the night to help those caught up in the Manchester attack pic.twitter.com/tElF2ekm41
10.23am BST
10:23
Manchester University is advising that some exams may be disrupted but that students should assume they will go ahead as scheduled.
10.21am BST
10:21
This is from Federica Mogherini, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.
Fear won't prevail. European youth will continue to enjoy their love for life, freedom & joy, together. #Manchester pic.twitter.com/ybNHmQPvl2
Updated
at 10.25am BST
10.17am BST
10:17
Channel 4 News’s Michael Crick says this is not the first terrorist attack during a general election campaign.
This isn't first terrorist attack in an election. In 1979 INLA murdered Airey Neave 2 days after no confidence vote which caused 1979 poll
Updated
at 10.22am BST
10.16am BST
10:16
Nadia Khomami
Concert-goers have criticised security at the Manchester Arena, with some saying bags were not checked.
Nikola Trochtova, a Czech woman who was at the Ariana Grande concert in the venue, told Czech public radio that “there was absolutely no security check”.
She added: “They let us get in without any check if we have anything with us … the only thing they were interested in was if we had any bottles of water with us. They almost didn’t check our bags, they didn’t take a look.”
The Associated Press reports Trochtova as saying she was leaving the venue when she heard an explosion at the entrance, but only found out what had happened when she returned to her hotel.
Others have posted on social media about what they deemed to be lax security checks at the venue, with mixed reports as to whether bags were checked upon entrance to the sold-out 21,000-person capacity stadium.
@Harry_Styles @BBCBreaking I was at the arena in Manchester and their only check your bag not you and anyone can walk in with things under a coat 😡
One Twitter user said: “The last 3 times I’ve seen a show at Manchester arena, they didn’t check my bag even though I had a backpack on.
“For One Direction, they just kind of jiggled my bag, ‘feeling’ if there was anything harmful. Had a 1L bottle of Lucozade, didn’t open my bag.
Didn’t even check my bag at all for Little Mix nor 5SOS, despite my bag being full and quite heavy.”
Another said: “Being there at the concert in Manchester, I’m not surprised someone was able to take something into the arena. Security was horrendous … Only a bag check, no metal scanners or patdowns for anyone entering through the Manchester Victoria entrance of the arena.”
Being there at the concert in Manchester, I'm not surprised someone was able to take something into the arena. Security was horrendous.
Agnes Bergman wrote:
We were at the Ariana Grande concert. Just exited when the bang went off. Ppl were panicking. There was only bag check. Nothing else.
Updated
at 10.24am BST
10.16am BST
10:16
Theresa May is expected to make a statement outside No 10 within the next half an hour or so. She has been chairing a meeting of Cobra, the government’s emergency committee.
There is no prospect of parliament being recalled because, following the dissolution of parliament for the election, there are no MPs at the moment.
According to the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn, May will then travel to Manchester.
The PM is going to Manchester today to thank police and rescue workers, after giving a statement at 10.30am #ManchesterArena
Updated
at 10.20am BST
10.08am BST
10:08
Richard Adams
With the GCSE exam season under way in schools, the examinations regulator Ofqual, said headteachers are best placed to decide whether exams should be postponed.
It said:
“Many students and teachers are likely to have been affected by the tragic events in Manchester last night. Headteachers are best placed to decide whether exams should go ahead as planned.
“We will consider with the exam boards how the provisions that are normally made for students who are unable to sit their exams when planned, or who take their exams but whose performance might be affected, will be applied.
“Students and their parents should seek advice and information from their schools. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.”
Updated
at 10.10am BST
10.04am BST
10:04
Frances Perraudin
While Manchester city centre is unusually quiet this morning, a lot of people have made their way to work as normal.
The police cordon now only surrounds the area near the arena.
There are lots of dazed parents with their teenage daughters, who appear to have been at last night’s concert, leaving hotels and making their way towards Piccadilly station.
Hayley Lunt and her 10-year-old daughter, Annabel, have just come out of the Premier Inn near the arena. They were at the concert last night and are still shaken. They haven’t slept since they ran to their hotel for safety following the blast.
“It’s surreal. It’s almost like we weren’t there,” Lunt told a huddle of journalists. “It’s like a bad movie. I think it’ll take a few days for us to come to terms with it.”
The pair, who are from near Bradford, were gathering their belongings at the end of the concert when they heard bangs, which they initially took to be gunshots. Lunt says she knew immediately that something terrible had happened.
“It was just hysteria and we just ran,” she says. “We found another young girl who lost her dad and we were just running along the street with her. Then thankfully, she found her dad and we just headed straight here. It was just utter chaos and terrifying.
“It just makes you frightened to take your child anywhere. It was her first proper concert and I’m just thinking, will she want to do anything again.”
Updated
at 10.09am BST
9.56am BST
09:56
Severin Carrell
Scotland’s chief constable has deployed armed police on high-visibility patrols in crowded areas, airports and railway stations after stepping up security following the Manchester Arena attack.
Phil Gormley, a former Met police counter-terrorism commander, said: “My thoughts and those of everyone at Police Scotland are with those who have lost loved ones or who were injured in the attack in Manchester.
“As part of the UK-wide response to these events, Police Scotland continues to review all safety and security plans and operations. This includes ensuring our armed policing and specialist resources are appropriately deployed.
“People will therefore see armed police on patrol at transport hubs and crowded places. There is no intelligence to suggest there is any threat to Scotland but I would ask the public to remain alert and report anything suspicious.”
Updated
at 10.02am BST
9.55am BST
09:55
These are from Brendan Cox, whose wife, Jo, was murdered by a far-right terrorist during the EU referendum last year.
Thinking of every family whose lives have been destroyed today by a cowardly hate filled attack. So much pain and so pointless.
The pain these attacks inflict is profound & real, & it lasts long after the headlines have moved on.
But the cause they seek to advance is going to fail. They try to divide us. But we will not divide. We will pull together & live our lives
Britain will respond as it always does under attack; with love for the bereaved, unity & resolve. They will not change us. They will not win
For those who are supporting bereaved kids there are organisations there to help. Like https://t.co/r0Kg9SCxu9 & https://t.co/9Eiq0PRS3g
People who use this to push hatred are doing exactly what the terrorists want. Division&hate make us weak, Unity& Resolve make us strong.
9.54am BST
09:54
Steven Morris
The dean of Manchester, Rogers Govender, led prayers close to the arena.
Govender explained that normal morning prayers could not take place at the cathedral because it was within the cordon.
He said: “We pray for all the people of Greater Manchester at this time. We give you thanks for our city and our city region. We pray for all places of prayer and worship in our city as they become places of refuge and comfort for all of our people.
“We pray for ourselves that you fill us with compassion for those who suffer violence. We pray you give us a renewed sense of what a gift it is to live each day in peace and freedom. Help us not to allow ourselves to be diminished by fear and make us instruments of your peace in our homes, our communities and in this great city.”
The Dean of Manchester cathedral, Rogers Govender, has led prayers at the cordon. pic.twitter.com/WDxGQjTSvr
A city councillor, Patrick Karney, read Psalm 125, which ends with: “Peace be on Israel” and added: “Peace be on Manchester.”
Teenage girls, some with their mothers, are beginning to leave the hotels near the arena where they spent the night.
Karen Moore, from Derby, who was with her daughter Molly, said neither had slept a wink. They had booked into a hotel, but became disorientated after leaving the arena and found themselves in the foyer of a different hotel. “They told us we’d better stay there and gave us quilts and pillows,” said Moore.
Mother and daughter were at the front of the arena when they heard the explosion. “Everyone was screaming, completely hysterical,” Moore said. “We just want to get home now – it’s been terrible, just awful.”
Mums and daughters leaving hotels and heading home following Manchester attack. pic.twitter.com/C7UK6LUf4r
