'Today our heartbreak turns to anger': Families of Manchester Arena victims react to damning report

ITV News Correspondent Rebecca Barry on the families of the victims of the Manchester Arena bomb's fight for justice


The families of the 22 people who were killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack have faced an "extremely difficult" nine month wait, as a public inquiry examined security failings on the night their loved ones were murdered.

A damning report has found that lives may have been saved had concerns from members of the public been taken seriously.

Here is how some of the relatives of those who died reacted to the Inquiry's findings:

22 people were killed in the atrocity.
  • 'Today our heartbreak turns to anger...'

Paul Hett, the father of Martyn Hett, says the family's initial heartbreak that their son was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" has now turned to anger.

"We entrusted the safety of our loved ones into organisations and agencies who had a duty of care to protect them. This inquiry has rightly found that we were failed on every level."

  • 'It haunts me every night while I'm trying to sleep...'

One "striking missed opportunity" included security staff at the arena ignoring concerns from a member of the public around Salman Abedi - the Inquiry has found.

That's a detail that's "haunted" Steve Howe, whose wife Alison was killed in the bombing while she waited to collect her daughter.

"That bomb was the size of a wheelie bin - and he was lugging it around for two hours!" Steve told ITV News, "Various people saw him, various people reported him...absolutely nothing done whatsoever. Now we find out he could have been apprehended 8 times, it's just heartbreaking really."

  • 'It is very hard to accept and understand'

Philip Tron was killed in the explosion, alongside his partner's daughter Courtney Boyle.

Philip's mum says their family don't want anyone else to go through the pain of loss they've suffered.

She said "It has been extremely hard to listen to evidence which has highlighted how our government has failed to take extra steps to ensure security as it should be at venues, and how organisations who are supposedly experts in running such venues can make so many basic mistakes relating to safety and security.

  • 'Young people were left an open target for terrorists'

Neil Hudgell, a solicitor who represents the bereaved families, said collective failings made the arena a sitting target for terrorists.

He added: "As a result of these combined failings, thousands of young people who attended the concert on that night were left an open and vulnerable target for terrorists because the security around the venue and event was nowhere near what it needed to be. There were gaps and failings galore." 


The Arena operator SMG, its security provider Showsec, and the British Transport Police were all criticised in the report. You can read their responses here.