Chilling CCTV shows suicide bomber Salman Abedi struggling with backpack and fiddling with wiring as he prowls Manchester Arena minutes before murdering 22 people - as public inquiry hears of 'missed opportunities' to stop terror attack
Chilling footage showing suicide bomber Salman Abedi struggling under the weight of his backpack and 'adjusting wiring' underneath his clothes moments before he murdered 22 people has been shown on the first day of the public inquiry into the terror attack.
Abedi conducted several 'hostile reconnaissance' trips to the arena and the area outside it ahead of the attack on May 22, 2017, which left 22 people dead.
Experts have said there were 'missed opportunities' to identify Abedi as a threat and take action to stop him as witnesses claim they told officials - including a British Transport Police officer - that someone was acting suspiciously.
Abedi's first trip to the arena occurred on May 18 - the same day he arrived in the UK from Libya. In this trip, he walked into the City Room after wandering around the outside of the venue.
It was in the City Room that Abedi, surrounded by a throng of elated youngsters leaving an Ariana Grande concert - that he exploded his shrapnel-packed rucksack bomb, sending thousands of nuts and bolts shredding everything in their path on May 22.
The inquiry today heard:
- A member of the public - known as witness A - challenged a man matching Salman Abedi's description at Manchester Arena and told security but was 'fobbed off', he claims;
- Another witness William Drysdale spotted Abedi in the City Room of the arena on the night of the attack;
- Someone else with Mr Drysdale then approached a British Transport Police officer. The officer cannot recall the conversation;
- A BTP officer and a PCSO on duty at Victoria Station went for a break and returned to duty two hours 10 minutes later on the night of the bombing;
- Abedi conducted several 'hostile reconnaissance' trips to the arena and the area outside it ahead of the attack;
- His first trip came on May 18, 2017, the same day Abedi arrived in Manchester Airport from Libya;
- There were no BTP officers on patrol at the train station as Abedi, carrying his large rucksack bomb, made his final journey to the City Rooms entrance to carry out his suicide attack;
- On the day of the attack he was seen struggling under the weight of his backpack and 'adjusting wiring' underneath his clothes;
- Experts have concluded there were missed opportunities to identify Abedi as a suicide bomber.
Then on May 21, the day before the attack, footage shows Abedi walking into the arena's City Room area (pictured) befefore sitting on a stairwell leading up to a mezzanine area - apparently on his phone
Suicide bomber Abedi conducted several 'hostile reconnaissance' missions (one pictured, Abedi left) before he launched his deadly Manchester Arena attack in 2017, an inquiry has heard
Abedi's first trip to the arena occurred on May 18 - the same day he arrived in the UK from Libya. Pictured: Abedi (back centre) walking towards the stairs that lead up to the City Room on his first trip
On this first trip, footage shows Abedi (white cursor pointed at him) spending two minutes inside where he 'observes queues into the Arena' (pictured) before leaving on a tram
Footage of Abedi's trips to the arena and the area outside it - ahead of the attack were also shown on the first day of a public inquiry into the incident. Pictured: One of his trips
Abedi walks out of the City Room onto the footbridge that leads down into Victoria Station during the first trip to the arena on May 18
Abedi uses the toilets at the train station where he 'struggles to work out how the turnstile operates'. He crouches over due to the weight of his backbackOn this first trip, footage shows him spending two minutes inside where he 'observes queues into the Arena' before leaving on a tram.Then, on May 19, Abedi is seen close to the arena at 1.36pm, conducting another 'hostile reconnaissance', Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said.He is then captured outside the station carrying a long cylindrical object inside a black bin bag.Abedi then gets into a taxi which takes him to a rented flat on Granby Street.Then on May 21, the day before the attack, footage shows Abedi walking into the arena's City Room area before sitting on a stairwell leading up to a mezzanine area - apparently on his phone.Abedi heads up the stairs to the mezzanine level where he pauses - looking over the bustling City Room below.On the day of the attack - May 22 - he stakes out the arena yet again after arriving at the Metrolink platform at 6.31pm.He pauses to tie his shoelaces before entering the City Room entrance at 6.34pm.But he heads back to the station - possibly after seeing British Transport Police officers - and gets into a taxi.At 8.30pm, Abedi arrives by tram yet again. He spends around ten minutes in the toilet at the station.He arrives at the City Room at 8.51pm but leaves again at 9.10pm - getting to the station via a lift - before returning at 9.33pm.On his final journey, Abedi got into the lift at the ground floor of Victoria Train station.CCTV footage captured in the lift shows him apparently adjusting wires underneath his clothing.Mr Greaney says: 'It is possible when one studies this photograph carefully to see Abedi adjusting wiring beneath his clothing.'He 'headed straight for the mezzanine level' where he stayed for just under an hour before going into the City Room and setting off his devastating bomb.Speaking of one of Abedi's visits to the arena ahead of the attack, Mr Greaney said: 'On the 21st of May, the CCTV footage captured Salman Abedi on a third occasion, apparently engaged in further hostile reconnaissance.'At 18:53 on that day, Abedi was captured walking into the station from the Metro Link tram platform and going up the stairs to the footbridge leading to the City Room, apparently while speaking on his telephone.'At 18:56, he can be observed entering the City Room and sitting down on the stairs to the mezzanine, still on his phone.'At 19:04, he then walked up the stairs to the mezzanine level and stood at the top for about eight seconds, looking out over the City Room.'The City Room allows concertgoers to get to the car park, tram platform and the railway station. Experts have concluded there were missed opportunities to identify Abedi as a suicide bomber.Abedi, 22, was reported to police and security as acting suspiciously in the minutes before he detonated his bomb, the inquiry heard, but no action was taken.The inquiry was how one member of the public spotted Abedi - who he presumed was praying - wearing a large back pack less than an hour before he detonated his bomb at 10.31pm and another told a British Transport Police (BTP) officer.Mr Greaney said experts had been asked to look into the security at the arena that night.Mr Greaney said that 'of considerable importance, the experts consider, on the basis of the information currently available to them, that, on May 22, there were missed opportunities to identify Salman Abedi as a threat and take mitigating action.'He said that the experts concluded: 'If the presence of a potential suicide bomber had been reported, it is very likely that mitigating actions would've been taken that could have reduced the impact of the attack.'This is because there was sufficient time between Abedi first being spotted by, and also reported to (security) staff and his attack to effectively react.'Mr Greaney said: 'The evidence about these potential missed opportunities will need to be considered with the greatest possible care.'He said whether there were 'missed opportunities' to prevent the attack or reduce its deadly impact would be a key consideration for the inquiry, which began on Monday.It was also revealed at the inquest that a British Transport Police officer and a PCSO on duty at Victoria Station - where the Manchester Arena is sited - went for a break and returned to duty two hours 10 minutes later, on the night Abedi bombed the venue.There were no BTP officers on patrol at the train station as Abedi, carrying his large rucksack bomb, made his final journey to the City Rooms entrance to take up position to carry out his suicide attack, the public inquiry heard.A witness, Julie Merchant, approached BTP officer Jessica Bullough, around 32 minutes before the deadly bombing, to point out Salman Abedi.Mr Greaney QC said Ms Merchant cannot recall the details of the conversation with the officer but that it was 'to do with praying and political correctness'.The officer cannot remember the conversation taking place, the hearing was told.She was the first police officer to enter the City Rooms after the bombing, showing considerable bravery, Mr Greaney added.Loved ones of the 22 people who died in the bombing stood in silent remembrance as the names of the victims were recited at the opening of the hearings.The sombre proceedings began with Mr Greaney reading the names of each of those murdered by suicide bomber Salman Abedi on May 22 2017.Sir John Saunders, a retired High Court judge, is leading the probe examining events before, during and after the attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.Summarising the evidence at the beginning of the inquiry process, Mr Greaney described how William Drysdale spotted Abedi in the City Room of the arena and a second witness with Mr Drysdale then approached a British Transport Police (BTP) officer
The officer cannot recall the conversation, the hearing was told.
The sombre start to proceedings began with Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, reading the names of each of those murdered (some victims pictured) by suicide bomber Salman Abedi on May 22, 2017Two more witnesses, known only as A and B, a couple who had taken their daughter to the concert, also saw a man matching Abedi's description acting suspiciously and witness A challenged him.The man said the suspect looked 'out of place' carrying a large rucksack in a crowded place.Paul Greaney QC, said the witness spoke to the suspicious person.'He asked the man, what have you got in your rucksack, but got no reply.MrA then said, 'It doesn't look very good you know, you with a bag in a place like this. What are you doing?'The man replied: 'I'm waiting for somebody, mate. Have you got the time? What time is it?'Witness A then spoke to Mohammed Agha, employed by venue security firm Showsec, but said he was 'fobbed off.'Mohammed Agha then spoke to fellow Showsec employee Kyle Lawler about the suspicious man and what they should do, the inquiry heard.Mr Lawler is then said to have tried to radio his security control but could not get through. He then spotted the man get up and start walking towards the arena entrance.His statement continued: 'I just froze and did not get anything out on the radio. I knew at that point it was too late.'Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquest, said the accounts of Showsec employees differ about what happened with 'gaps and discrepancies' between their accounts and the CCTV evidence captured at the arena.Earlier, formally opening the inquiry, Sir John said: 'This is an exercise in establishing the truth.'If I conclude things went wrong then I shall say so, but we are not looking for scapegoats. We are searching for the truth.
A view inside the room where the Manchester Arena Inquiry is being held, at Manchester Magistrates Court'The explosion killed 22 people, including children, the youngest was eight years old.'Salman Abedi blew himself up in the explosion but he intended as many people as possible would die with him.'Sir John said some evidence must be heard in secret to prevent further similar terrorist attacks.Abedi was known to the security services, and a senior MI5 officer, known only as witness J, is expected to give evidence to the inquiry later this year.The bomber's brother, Hashem Abedi, now 23, was last month jailed for life with a minimum 55 years before parole, for his part in the deadly bomb plot, which left hundreds of other people injured.Some evidence, involving information judged to be potentially of use to terrorists, is subject to restriction orders, and those hearings will be closed to the public.
The most sensitive evidence is likely to be heard at closed hearings, with both press and public excluded because of the risk to national security.
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