Manchester Arena Inquiry: Off-duty nurse describes how she tried to save youngest victim

Warning: The evidence in this story is distressing

Video report by Amy Welch.

An off-duty nurse has described the moment she squeezed the hand of the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena attack as she tried to save her life.

Bethany Crook attended the Ariana Grande concert at the Arena, but quickly became involved in the care of Saffie-Rose Roussos after the bomb was detonated.

The inquiry heard that she was seen walking to Saffie at 10:52pm and remained with her until 11:07pm.

She said "I was watching her slip away, and I couldn't do anything for her".

Ms Crook described how she focused on Saffie's pulse and her breathing using just her "bare hands" to keep her safe without any equipment.

While in the City Room, she explained how Saffie would make sounds of pain, but was unconscious for most of the time.

When asked about how Saffie was moved, Ms Crook said she asked those carrying her to stop so she could carry out pulse checks.

She said her training suggested that Saffie should not have been moved, but she felt she had to get her out to where she thought would be medical assistance.

She explained how she waited for a medical team to arrive, but "that never happened".

In the closing moments of Ms Crook's evidence, the Chairman of the Inquiry thanked her for time.

Saffie-Rose was eight-years-old and was in the Arena's City Room, with her mother Lisa and sister Ashlee Bromwich, five metres from the bomber.