The Manchester Arena Inquiry was told this week that perpetrator Salman Abedi made three scouting visits to the venue before hiding in a CCTV “blind spot” on the night of the attack.
Abedi murdered 22 people in May 2017 after detonating an explosive device at the Arena following an Arian Grande concert.
A public inquiry – dedicated to finding out how and why the attack came about – began in September and has already revealed there may have been at least two missed opportunities to catch Abedi.
The inquiry was also told that it was very unlikely that Abedi and his brother Hashem – who was sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in planning the attack – acted alone.
Abedi outside Manchester Victoria on May 18, three days before the Arena bombing / GMP
This week, footage was played showing clips of Abedi scouting the Arena on three separate occasions in the days leading up to the bombing – apparently in an attempt to identify entrance routes and camera positions.
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On the night of the attack itself, Abedi headed up to the mezzanine level of the Arena and waited “in a blind spot” for almost an hour before heading down to detonate his bomb at 10.31pm.
Salman Abedi at the bottom of the Manchester Arena steps during a scouting trip in the days before the attack / GMP
Abedi’s first reconnaissance visit to the Arena was on May 18, the night of a Take That concert and the same day he returned to the UK after visiting Libya.
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Abedi was shown arriving at the Arena by tram at 6.18pm, before walking around the railway station perimeter, the Trinity Way link tunnel and eventually in the City Room foyer.
At 6.35pm, Abedi can be seen moving around a queue at the box office, before leaving the scene a few minutes later.
Abedi returned to the Arena on May 21 before a show by physicist Professor Brian Cox.
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He sat on a wall in front of the entrance doors for several minutes, looking at his phone and holding the device up to his ear.
Abedi on the day of the attack / GMP
On the day of the attack, he made a final reconnaissance trip – briefly entering the City Room at 6.34pm.
Abedi held a short conversation with two security stewards before taking a taxi to his Fallowfield home from outside Victoria railway station at 6.36pm.
The bomber returned later that night at 8.30pm with his rucksack, moving between transport platforms and the Arena via lift, before eventually entering the mezzanine blind spot and waiting there for 58 minutes.
He then descended the stairs as the gig reached its conclusion to get in position to trigger the bomb.
News
First look at Albert Square as Manchester Christmas Markets return to their spiritual home
Thomas Melia
Manchester Christmas Markets are back and all our Christmas wishes have come true, as its spiritual home Albert Square joins in on the festivities for the first time in six years.
Grab a mulled wine, toast yourself a marshmallow and take a seat, because we’re going to take you on a quick tour of this brand-new offering.
You’ll be able to tick off your Christmas Markets wish list in one place, as Manchester has got all your usual favourites and so much more taking place right here outside of its iconic Town Hall.
As soon as you walk in you’re greeted by a huge sign spelling out the city’s iconic abbreviation ‘MCR’, just in case you forgot where you were, that also doubles as a nice photo opportunity.
Albert Square in Manchester city centre is getting into the Christmas spirit for the first time in six years / Credit: The Manc Group
As you walk into Albert Square there’s a mix of nostalgic wooden huts and brightly coloured modern street food vendor stations waiting to tempt you with all their tasty treats.
There’s no messing around at this Christmas hotspot because not even 10 feet after you enter, you can warm up with a glühwein and bratwurst, yes please.
Think you’re done sampling some festive feasts? Think again as there’s a marshmallow toasting station, a roasted chestnut cart and lots of huts are offering their own hot chocolate creations.
Local street food vendor Rita’s Reign has made her mark in Albert Square too, serving up her foodie feasts with a seasonal spin such as the ‘Festive Feast’ and ‘Christmas Crunch’ combo boxes.
Rita’s Reign is just one of many food vendors at Manchester Christmas Markets / Credit: The Manc Group
As you keep making your way round there’s some lovely gifts and trinkets to browse including tree decorations, ornaments and some vibrant pieces of art.
There’s plenty of ways to keep the kids (and big kids) entertained with some carnival-themed games and stalls as well as a vintage carousel, if that doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit what else will?
Of course, there’s even more food to mention like mini dutch pancakes, toasted sandwiches, French toast, the list is endless (Much like many of our Christmas lists).
And we couldn’t finish our visit without acknowledging the elephant in the room, also known as The Manchester Big Wheel, which is the perfect people-watching spot, but maybe hop on this ride before you try all the tasty treats mentioned above.
Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
The Manc -
14th October 2020 
