Fire union waits for ruling on role in bomb inquiry

A RULING is set to be delivered at a later date on an application by the Fire Brigades Union to play a central role in the Manchester Arena bombing public inquiry.

The FBU wants ‘core participant’ status at the inquiry, in line with the police, other emergency services, the security services and relatives of those who lost their lives in the atrocity.

If granted, core participants may receive advance disclosure of evidence, make statements at certain hearings or apply through their legal representatives to ask questions of certain witnesses.

The fire service came in for criticism in the Kerslake Report, which was commissioned to look into the response of the emergency services on the night of the attack – May 22, 2017.

Legal representations were made during a near three-hour preliminary hearing yesterday, the fourth to take place as part of the inquiry.

Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, opposed the application, saying legally it was made ‘four months out of time’ and elements of it ‘lacked merit’. He said the interests of the FBU ‘coincide substantially’ with other existing core participants and with the aims of the inquiry team.

Mr Greaney said: “Core participant status for the FBU is not, in our submission, required.”

The application, he said, had diverted resources away from preparing for the start of the inquiry, which has been subjected to several delays.

Hugh Southey QC, representing the FBU, said the union sought to intervene because it is ‘representative of those who deliver the frontline services’.

Inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders said he would consider the application and deliver a ruling at a later date.