Police confirm 22 people killed in Manchester Arena Terror Attack

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• Police confirm 22 people including children died in last night’s terrorist attack
• 59 people are being treated at eight hospitals across Greater Manchester.
• Attack carried out by lone male suicide bomber at the end of an Ariana Grande concert. 
• Police called to Manchester Arena at 10.33pm – more than 240 calls were made at the time from the scene.
• North Wales Police are providing mutual aid to colleagues in Greater Manchester
• Everyone is advised to be vigilant and to report any concerns to the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321
• The security threat level nationally remains unchanged at ‘Severe’

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North Wales Police are reassuring local communities and advising extra vigilance following the terrorist attack in Manchester yesterday.

Assistant Chief Constable Richard Debicki said:

First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by last night’s terrible attack in Manchester.

I’m sure most of us can relate to our children’s huge excitement at attending a pop concert and to have, what should have been, a safe, enjoyable and memorable night cut down in such an horrific way is beyond words.”

I’d like to pay tribute to the professionalism and bravery of all the emergency services who responded and worked tirelessly to protect the public and treat those injured.

North Wales Police are providing mutual aid to our colleagues in Greater Manchester and will continue to do so as the investigation unfolds.”

It is prudent in the immediate aftermath of such an horrific event to provide our communities with a visible reassurance and we are reviewing our level of resources and patrolling key locations.

North Wales Police will continue to operate under agreed National Counter Terrorism guidelines and will implement any potential actions that follow this morning’s COBRA meeting in London, however, I must emphasise there is no specific threat towards north Wales.

We understand that last night’s events are very ‘close to home’ and people will be concerned, but I wish to reassure all communities that your safety is our priority and North Wales Police will do everything it can to keep you all safe.”

We will maintain regular contact with Greater Manchester Police and the Welsh Extremist and Counter Terrorism Unit (WECTU) and will continue to monitor the situation.

We have a range of contingency plans in place if required. We stand together with our communities and our advice is to remain alert but not alarmed and if you see anything suspicious call 999 immediately.”

The security threat level nationally remains unchanged at ‘Severe’ meaning an attack is highly likely. As ever the public are urged to remain alert and not alarmed.

Everyone is advised to be vigilant and to report any concerns to the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency, always dial 999.

An emergency number is available for those who are concerned about loved ones or anyone who may have been in the area – 0161 856 9400.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_cta h2=”Talking about terrorism: tips for parents” h4=”Children are exposed to news in many ways, and what they see can worry them. Advice from the NSPCC can help you have a conversation with your child:” shape=”square” color=”blue”]

• • listen carefully to a child’s fears and worries
  • offer reassurance and comfort
  • avoid complicated and worrying explanations that could be frightening and confusing
  • help them find advice and support to understand distressing events and feelings
  • children can always contact Childline free and confidentially on the phone and online.

It’s also important to address bullying and abuse following the terrorist attacks.

• Some children may feel targeted because of their faith or appearance
  Look for signs of bullying, and make sure that they know they can talk with you about it. Often children might feel scared or embarrassed, so reassure them it’s not their fault that this is happening, and that they can always talk to you or another adult they trust. Alert your child’s school so that they can be aware of the issue.
• Dealing with offensive or unkind comments about a child’s faith or background
  If you think this is happening, it’s important to intervene. Calmly explain that comments like this are not acceptable. Your child should also understand that someone’s beliefs do not make them a terrorist. Explain that most people are as scared and hurt by the attacks as your child is. You could ask them how they think the other child felt, or ask them how they felt when someone said something unkind to them. Explain what you will do next, such as telling your child’s school, and what you expect them to do.

www.nspcc.org.uk[/vc_cta][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1495532564180{margin-top: -18px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins in an update this morning said:

This has been the most horrific incident we have had to face in Greater Manchester and one that we all hoped we would never see.

Families and many young people were out to enjoy a concert at the Manchester Arena and have lost their lives.

Our thoughts are with those 22 victims that we now know have died, the 59 people who have been injured and their loved ones.

We continue to do all we can to support them.

They are being treated at eight hospitals across Greater Manchester.
This is a fast-moving investigation and we have significant resources deployed to both the investigation and the visible patrols people will see across Greater Manchester as they wake up to news of the events last night.

This will include armed officers as people would expect. More than 400 officers have been involved in this operation during the night.
To remind you, we were called at 10.33pm to reports of an explosion at the Manchester Arena at the conclusion of an Ariana Grande concert.

More than 240 calls came in and emergency services were very quickly on scene.

Emergency numbers have been established for anyone who is concerned for loved ones who may not have returned home 0161 856 9400 or 0161 856 9900.

We have been treating this as a terrorist incident and we believe at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man.

The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network.

We would ask people not to speculate on his details or to share names. There is a complex and wide-ranging investigation underway.

Our priority is to work with the national Counter Terrorist Unit Policing Network and UK intelligence services to establish more details about the individual who carried out this attack.

We have received tremendous support from across the police services and partner agencies throughout the night.

We regularly carry out exercises to test our ability to respond to such incidents and this has ensured a very swift response from local and national agencies.

I want to thank all those members of the emergency services and other agencies who have worked tirelessly through the night in very difficult circumstances. The response has been outstanding.

There remains a large cordon in place around Manchester Arena and Victoria Train Station which will be in place for sometime. The station will remain closed while a detailed forensic search is underway. People should plan their route to work and follow Transport for Greater Manchester for updates on Social media.

Terrorists attempt to disrupt our lives and create distrust and fear in communities. We have a long history in Greater Manchester of communities standing together during difficult times. In the coming days we will be working closely with community leaders to address any issues.

It is important that we all continue to remain vigilant, but also to go about our daily lives. We would ask people to be alert and report any suspicious activity to police on the Anti-Terrorist Hotline 0800 789321 or dialling 999.

As people are waking up to this tragic news on what is a sad day for Greater Manchester, the officers and staff from Greater Manchester Police and the other emergency services will continue to do all they can to help get us through the difficult days ahead.

If you have any images or footage from last night that you believe can assist us then upload them to Ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hesgWKUnrX4″][/vc_column][/vc_row]