999 links critical, says bomb review

ARE VIEW into the response to the Manchester Arena bombing has found there were “critical” issues with communications between emergency services.

A progress report into the review, carried out by an independent panel led by Lord Bob Kerslake and appointed by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, was published yesterday.

Lord Kerslake said: “There were issues about communications which were critical, both between the different services and between the services and the public.”

He added: “Certainly things didn’t go in the way people would have wanted to, that’s clear, alongside things that went well.”

But, he said the preparations for an attack in Manchester had been significant and there was a “powerful civic response” to the attack, in which suicide bomber Salman Abedi left 22 dead, including Eilidh MacLeod, 14, from Barra, and hundreds injured at an Ariana Grande concert on May 22 last year.

Lord Kerslake said the panel had a “better understanding” of why there was a delay in the fire service entering the building on the night, but said he would not comment further until the full report was published in March.

The panel has spoken to the bereaved and injured, emergency services, NHS, local councils and around 170 people.

The interim report recommends public bodies in Greater Manchester adopt a “Charter for families bereaved through public tragedy” that was inspired by Hillsborough families.