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Next version
| Version 37 | Version 38 |
|---|---|
| Manchester Arena bombing: Theresa May raises threat level, and troops to be deployed on Britain's streets – live news | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.16pm BST | |
| 22:16 | |
| Vikram Dodd | |
| Given that a “further attack may be imminent”, as Theresa May told the nation tonight, the threat level has been raised to critical. That allows military personnel to be deployed on the streets of Britain to free up armed police resources to hunt down suspects. | |
| The arrangements are known as military assistance to civil powers. A key driver is that the numbers of police armed officers are limited, and they are best suited to hunt for any other terrorists, where the aim is to arrest if possible and try them in the courts. | |
| 10.11pm BST | |
| 22:11 | |
| This is Theresa May’s statement in full: | |
| “We again discussed the callous and cowardly terrorist attack in Manchester last night and the operational response from the security service, the police and other emergency services. It remains the case that other than the terrorist himself, 22 people were killed in the attack, 59 people remain injured and many of them have life-threatening conditions. | |
| “As Greater Manchester Police confirmed earlier today, the perpetrator was Salman Ramadan Abedi, who was born and brought up in Britain and as the emergency services confirmed throughout the day, his victims were innocent children, young people and their families - our thoughts and prayers are with them all. | |
| “I want to re-iterate what I said this morning about the professionalism of the emergency services and the bravery of the people in Manchester. Through their actions, they proved that cowardice will always be defeated by bravery, that evil can be overcome by good and that our values, the liberal, pluralistic values of Britain, will always prevail over the hateful ideology of the terrorists.” | |
| “The work undertaken throughout the day has revealed that it is a possibility we cannot ignore that there is a wider group of individuals linked to this attack. This morning I said that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, the independent organisation responsible for setting the threat level on the basis of the intelligence available, was keeping the threat level under constant review. It has now concluded, on the basis of today’s investigations, that the threat level should be increased for the time being from severe to critical. This means that their assessment is not only that an attack remains highly likely, but that a further attack may be imminent.” | |
| The prime minister said Operation Temperer - allowing military personnel to take to the streets - was now in force: “This means that armed police officers responsible for duties such as guarding key sites will be replaced by members of the armed forces, which will allow the police to significantly increase the number of armed officers on patrol in key locations. You might also see military personnel deployed at certain events such as concerts and sports matches, helping the police to keep the public safe.” | |
| May continued: “In my statement earlier today, I said that the police and security services needed to investigate whether Abedi was acting alone. Those investigations continue. But the work undertaken throughout the day has revealed it is a possibility we cannot ignore that there is a wider group of individuals linked to this attack. | |
| “This morning I said that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, the independent organisation responsible for setting the threat level on the basis of the intelligence available, was keeping the threat level under constant review. It has now concluded, on the basis of today’s investigations, that the threat level should be increased for the time being from severe to critical.” | |
| 10.07pm BST | |
| 22:07 | |
| The last two occasions the threat level was raised to Critical the alert lasted no more than a few days: pic.twitter.com/GpzWJF4jMX | |
| In the summer of 2007 terrorists tried and failed to bomb the Tiger Tiger in London’s West End, and then went to Scotland where they launched a car bomb attack on Glasgow airport. | |
| 10.02pm BST | |
| 22:02 | |
| Theresa May will chair another meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee at 9.30am tomorrow, Downing Street said. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.04pm BST | |
| 10.01pm BST | |
| 22:01 | |
| Vikram Dodd | |
| The threat level is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, which sits within MI5. Critical means an attack is expected imminently. | |
| 9.53pm BST | |
| 21:53 | |
| Home affairs editor Alan Travis tweets: | |
| PM says Critical Threat level's Operation Temperer will use up to 5,000 troops to take over armed police patrol duties under police command. | |
| PM said decision to raise threat level to highest Critical follows belief there is a network around the Manchester suicide bomber. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.03pm BST | |
| 9.49pm BST | |
| 21:49 | |
| The UK alert level has been at critical twice before. The first was in 2006 following the exposure of a plot to blow up planes flying across the Atlantic, while the second came the following year in response to a plot targeting a London nightclub. | |
| 9.45pm BST | |
| 21:45 | |
| A statement from the Met police about these changes will come later this evening, the prime minister adds. | |
| She does not not want the public to be unduly alarmed, May says, but this is a proportionate and appropriate response. “We stand defiant ... the terrorists will never will, and we will prevail.” | |
| 9.43pm BST | |
| 21:43 | |
| May says armed police who usually protect places like parliament will be replaced by members of the armed forces. | |
| Updated | |
| at 9.57pm BST | |
| 9.42pm BST | |
| 21:42 | |
| Threat level raised to critical | |
| Theresa May is issuing a statement after the second Cobra meeting of the day. The prime minister confirms that the bomber was a 22-year-old man born and raised in the UK. | |
| She praises the emergency services’ response and that “evil can be overcome by good”. | |
| May says it is a possibility that others were linked with Abedi. The threat level should be increased to critical for the time being. | |
| 9.36pm BST | 9.36pm BST |
| 21:36 | 21:36 |
| This is the front page of Wednesday’s MEN: | This is the front page of Wednesday’s MEN: |
| Tomorrow's first edition pic.twitter.com/CsguzwR0q3 | Tomorrow's first edition pic.twitter.com/CsguzwR0q3 |
| 8.53pm BST | 8.53pm BST |
| 20:53 | 20:53 |
| The poet, Tony Walsh - also known as Longfella, delivers a passionate rendition of his poem This Is The Place at the city’s vigil on Tuesday, saying “always remember, never forget. Forever Manchester”. | The poet, Tony Walsh - also known as Longfella, delivers a passionate rendition of his poem This Is The Place at the city’s vigil on Tuesday, saying “always remember, never forget. Forever Manchester”. |
| 8.49pm BST | 8.49pm BST |
| 20:49 | 20:49 |
| Phil and Kim Dick were caught up in the blast when they went to pick up their daughter and granddaughter from the concert. Their relatives were found safe and well but they described caring for one little girl who had been hurt, as well as the horrendous scenes inside the arena. | Phil and Kim Dick were caught up in the blast when they went to pick up their daughter and granddaughter from the concert. Their relatives were found safe and well but they described caring for one little girl who had been hurt, as well as the horrendous scenes inside the arena. |
| Speaking to Channel 4 News on Tuesday, Phil also had a message for people who might seek to exploit the atrocity. | Speaking to Channel 4 News on Tuesday, Phil also had a message for people who might seek to exploit the atrocity. |
| It’s an absolutely terrible thing and I just pray to God that none of these extremists try and make political capital out of it because the last thing that anybody needs now is any more divisiveness. | It’s an absolutely terrible thing and I just pray to God that none of these extremists try and make political capital out of it because the last thing that anybody needs now is any more divisiveness. |
| That’s what terrorists want. What they want to do is they want to divide, they want to try and affect our way of life and, unfortunately, there are people on all parts of the political spectrum [who] want to use these kinds of incidents for their own political ends. And, if they do, they’re not much better than the bombers, I don’t think. | That’s what terrorists want. What they want to do is they want to divide, they want to try and affect our way of life and, unfortunately, there are people on all parts of the political spectrum [who] want to use these kinds of incidents for their own political ends. And, if they do, they’re not much better than the bombers, I don’t think. |
| You can watch the full interview here. Note: the programme has warned its viewers that the Dicks’ full testimony was graphic and that some people might find it upsetting. | You can watch the full interview here. Note: the programme has warned its viewers that the Dicks’ full testimony was graphic and that some people might find it upsetting. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.54pm BST | at 8.54pm BST |
| 8.28pm BST | 8.28pm BST |
| 20:28 | 20:28 |
| The author of a poem that stirred the emotions of mourners at a vigil in Manchester says it was a “privilege” to read it. | The author of a poem that stirred the emotions of mourners at a vigil in Manchester says it was a “privilege” to read it. |
| Poet Tony Walsh, 51, delivered a version of his poem This Is The Place - an ode to the city of Manchester and its people - to a packed Albert Square. | Poet Tony Walsh, 51, delivered a version of his poem This Is The Place - an ode to the city of Manchester and its people - to a packed Albert Square. |
| “As a proud Mancunian, I was worried that I’d find that emotional, particularly when I mentioned my mum, who passed away a while ago,” he says. “It meant a lot to me. I wanted to do it for Manchester. I didn’t want to crack, because Manchester won’t crack. I felt quite calm actually, when it came to do it. It was a privilege.” | “As a proud Mancunian, I was worried that I’d find that emotional, particularly when I mentioned my mum, who passed away a while ago,” he says. “It meant a lot to me. I wanted to do it for Manchester. I didn’t want to crack, because Manchester won’t crack. I felt quite calm actually, when it came to do it. It was a privilege.” |
| The poet, originally from Tameside, said the poem was previously commissioned by a charity called Forever Manchester. “There was flashes of humour in there because that’s Manchester all the time, and it’s Manchester even in its darkest hours. | The poet, originally from Tameside, said the poem was previously commissioned by a charity called Forever Manchester. “There was flashes of humour in there because that’s Manchester all the time, and it’s Manchester even in its darkest hours. |
| “And it’s important to me that the poem is true to Manchester and its people, and we fight through these things with humour, as hard as it is sometimes. That’s the Mancunian way,” he said. | “And it’s important to me that the poem is true to Manchester and its people, and we fight through these things with humour, as hard as it is sometimes. That’s the Mancunian way,” he said. |
| 8.17pm BST | 8.17pm BST |
| 20:17 | 20:17 |
| Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has issued a video statement after attending the vigil in Albert Square. | Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has issued a video statement after attending the vigil in Albert Square. |
| The British people are standing together, determined that terrorism will not divide our communities, as its perpetrators clearly intend. pic.twitter.com/QaqtDpV7Sb | The British people are standing together, determined that terrorism will not divide our communities, as its perpetrators clearly intend. pic.twitter.com/QaqtDpV7Sb |
| A Labour spokesman said the party’s general election campaign remained suspended until further notice: “Events planned for tomorrow have been cancelled.” | A Labour spokesman said the party’s general election campaign remained suspended until further notice: “Events planned for tomorrow have been cancelled.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.26pm BST | at 8.26pm BST |
| 8.06pm BST | 8.06pm BST |
| 20:06 | 20:06 |
| Guardian reporter Steven Morris tweets: | Guardian reporter Steven Morris tweets: |
| Police are doing the rounds of the mosques in Manchester to check they are not being targeted. pic.twitter.com/mPJyvk19KE | Police are doing the rounds of the mosques in Manchester to check they are not being targeted. pic.twitter.com/mPJyvk19KE |