Manchester Arena Inquiry: Police not aware of concert ahead of bombing

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was not aware “at an organisational level” of the Ariana Grande concert where a suicide bomb was detonated.

Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds injured when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb as 14,000 fans left the Manchester Arena in 2017.

An inquiry was told British Transport Police (BTP) had primary responsibility for policing in the arena foyer.

Counsel to the inquiry Paul Greaney QC said that may seem “surprising”.

He said BTP had “primacy” in this area due to the proximity of Victoria Station and the inquiry must consider whether that affected preparedness for any terror attack.

“There is a legitimate question about whether it was appropriate that BTP, who specialise in the railways, should take the lead,” he added.

GMP had not made plans or provision for the event, the inquiry was also told.

The second day of the hearing was told there had been multi-agency exercises rehearsing for a terror attack, including one in 2016 which practised for an incident at the Trafford Centre.

Mr Greaney said “experts have expressed serious concerns about whether the necessary lessons were learned from it”.

Another exercise, held in July 2016, rehearsed for an attack in the City Room at the arena – the exact venue of the attack in May 2017.

The inquiry is seeking to establish whether BTP took part in that rehearsal.

The public inquiry follows a trial in which a jury found Hashem Abedi guilty of helping his older sibling to plan the atrocity.

The chairman of the inquiry Sir John Saunders will make a report and recommendations once all the evidence has been heard, which is expected to take up to six months.