TERROR ATTACK REPORT VERDICT BOMB HELL BLUNDERS

Firefighters kept back for 2hrs over terrorist protocols Vodafone’s ‘catastrophic’ technical failure hit hotline ‘We were by ourselves, just trying to do our best’

to the “immense frustration on the firefighters’ faces”. Instead, crews and a special response team, trained to deal with terrorist incidents, were at a fire station outside the city centre.

And when a joint strategic co-ordinating group of emergency response services gathered at Greater Manchester Police HQ in East Manchester, Peter O’reilly – then GMFRS fire chief – had his senior officers at their own HQ in Salford.

The 226-page report said poor communication between GMP and GMFRS meant “valuable” assistance of fire crews was delayed by two hours and six minutes after the attack.

Lord Kerslake described fire chiefs’ as “extraordinary”. The report also said Vodafone’s failing meant no fully functioning number could be set up for people desperately searching for information about the bombing.

Vodafone told the BBC it had undertaken a major system upgrade and apologised for the distress caused.

The report also highlighted concern over delays in mental health treatment and the alleged hounding of victims’ families by some journalists.

Mr O’reilly, on £155,000 a year, has since retired. He kept his pension and did not face disciplinary action.

Ms Docx said yesterday: “We are very much a learning organisation. We are not seeking to go down a disciscene, pline route.” Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who commissioned the report, said no individual should bear all responsibility for failures, nor should be “scapegoated”.

But he said he would address the report’s recommendations, which include better joint working between GMFRS and other organisations.

He also announced that a “root and branch” review of brigade policies, leadership and culture was under way.

Mr Burnham said GMFRS worked under a more rigid command structure than other emergency agencies, partly due to safety protocol coming from attending dangerous incidents.

As a result, it does not allow “discrefailures tion” in decision-making. The mayor said: “That’s the culture being challenged and that we need to reflect on.”

The report panel’s verdict on whether lives may have been jeopardised by the fire service’s arrival time said: “This is a question that only the coronial inquests can decide.”

But it hailed officers from British Transport Police, rail staff, arena security, paramedics and members of the public who ran straight into danger.

The panel also praised GMP’S duty officer, who made a “life or death” decision to keep first responders at the scene, rather than evacuate in the face of a possible further attack.

Last night the mum of blast victim ONE member of the public who was in the Arena believes lives could have been saved if medical teams had arrived earlier.

Rob Grew told the BBC: “After about 40 minutes of trying to deal with people I was on my own, just trying to do my best.

“It was the same for any other members of the public who had gone in to help, they were just by themselves.”

He said he and others made makeshift stretchers out of barriers and T-shirt stands to carry people.

He said: “There was one lady who passed away next to me while I was trying to attend to someone else.”

And he claimed that 20 minutes after the explosion, there were still only three ambulance staff at the scene.

Asked if people could have been saved if there had been more professional medical assistance, he said: “Definitely in the first 15 minutes, definitely more could have been done.

“When the medical teams came in I was assisting them, providing and writing down details for every casualty, when their morphine was taken etc, just so that when they got to hospital they had all their details. They just did not have the staff to do it.” Martyn Hett, 29, backed the report. Figen Murray said: “I think our voice has been heard. Each family was carefully consulted. It was very respectful.

“Nothing in the report is a surprise for me, though, even the stuff with the fire service. That was known. For us as a family, [it] was neither here nor there because Martyn died instantly.

“But I understand the frustration of other families who may have had injured people who needed to get out to hospital sooner rather than later.”

She added: “The good thing is that they’ve made some effort to do some learning and that’s been appreciated.”

RESCUE EFFORT Emergency crews attend arena blast

HELP Rob Grew was in Arena