Manchester Arena bomb inquiry: MI5 'failed to keep the country safe'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

MI5 faced stinging criticism today from the families of those who were killed in the 2017 terror attack at Manchester Arena.

QCs representing the bereaved families slammed the security services for failing to share vital information about suicide bomber Salman Abedi with counter terror cops, accusing them of trying to spare their reputations rather than admit failings.

MI5 'failed to keep the country safe' on the night, said John Cooper QC, who represents the biggest group of families.

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"So grave was the failing that 22 innocents paid with their lives," he said.

He and another family QC, Pete Weatherby, accused the security services of hiding behind 'national security' concerns to keep key intelligence about suicide bomber secret, and they dismissed the claims they make about preventing attacks as 'virtue signalling' of no interest to the bereaved.

Some 22 people died and a thousand others were injured when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a huge device in his backpack as people were leaving an Ariana Grande concert at the venue in May 2017. His brother is serving a minimum 55 years behind bars for helping in the Islamic State terror attack.

MI5 has previously admitted Abedi had come across its radar 18 times since 2010.

The Libyan-heritage Fallowfield-raised Salford University student was made a 'subject of interest' in 2014 - but the file was dropped four months later.

The security services also uncovered links to six other people of interest to them and, even a few months before the Arena atrocity, more information came to light which had flagged him up for potential further investigation, although the meeting to discuss his case was