We must fight fire with fire demands grieving husband
THE grief-stricken husband of a mother killed while waiting to collect her teenage daughter from the Ariana Grande concert has demanded security forces “fight fire with fire”.
Steve Howe, 61, whose wife Alison, 44, died in the blast said the authorities should be “ashamed of themselves” for their handling of extremists and insisted: “We need to be as extreme as they are.”
The father of six added: “Enough is enough, we need to do something now. We need to fight fire with fire.
“We need to stand up. There are certain people who fought for Isis and they are allowed back in this country but we just need to be as extreme as they are and get on it. Just please get on it.”
Builder Mr Howe’s wife died alongside friend Lisa Lees, 47. The pair, from Oldham, were waiting to collect their 15-yearold daughters Darcie and India when Islamic extremist Salman Abedi detonated his bomb.
Mr Howe added: “We know the person who had done this within 20 minutes. We need to pin them down and stop being softly, softly.”
Yesterday, more young victims of the massacre were confirmed as dead, including Eilidh MacLeod, 14, from Barra in the Outer Hebrides.
Schoolgirl Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, also died while her mother Samantha, 44, was injured. Grandmother Pauline Healey, 64, remains unconscious in a critical condition.
Megan Hurley, 15, from Liverpool, was also confirmed to have died, while her brother Brad, 20, remains seriously injured.
Devastated relatives of teen sweethearts Liam Curry, 19, and Chloe Rutherford, 17, paid an emotional tribute to the couple, from South Shields, Tyne and Wear, after they were killed in the blast.
A joint statement from their families said: “They lived to go to new places together and explore different cities. They wanted to be together forever and now they are.’’
Courtney Boyle, 19, a Leeds Beckett University criminology student, and stepfather Philip Tron, 32, were also killed in the blast.
Staff at St Oswald’s C of E Primary School, in Guiseley, near Leeds, have expressed their “deep sadness” after confirming the death of former colleague Wendy Fawell, 50.
Meanwhile, pop singer Mariah Carey paid tribute to victim Martyn Hett, 29, a PR manager from Stockport.
Sharing a picture of Martyn wearing one of her T-shirts on her Instagram page, the superstar wrote: “RIP Martyn Hett. We will cherish your memory forever. His family and all the families affected are in my thoughts and prayers. MC.”