Many of the survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing feel “unimportant and forgotten”, their lawyer has said.
As the public enquiry into the 2017 attack draws closer, a barrister has said that more than 50 people injured on that horrific evening on May 22nd have not been interviewed or even contacted.
Brenda Carlin, lawyer to the majority of the survivors, says her clients had not been treated with importance until “they put their hand up” and asked for a formal role at the inquiry.
That enquiry will provisionally begin on September 7th in Manchester.
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Speaking about the survivors, Ms Carlin said: “They experienced, they saw, they felt, they heard and they have not been contacted.
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“With the greatest respect, telling someone that they are important witnesses does not make it so in practice.
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“The reality is that they are treated at the very best as very important spectators.”
She also states that injured survivors had not been asked about the trauma they went through both during and after the bombing.
The families will bid to overturn inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders’s decision not to grant them “core participant” status.
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Twenty-two people died, including the attacker, and 139 were wounded as a result of the attack.
Several hundred more suffered psychological trauma.
The bomber was Salman Ramadan Abedi, a 22-year-old local man of Libyan ancestry. After initial suspicions of a terrorist network, police later said they believed Abedi had largely acted alone but that others had been aware of his plans.
In March 2020, the bomber’s brother, Hashem Abedi, was found guilty of 22 counts of murder in relation to the attack.
News
NASA reveals exact time you can see ‘Santa’s sleigh’ fly over Greater Manchester this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
There’s not long left until Santa and his reindeer crew fly over the skies of Manchester to drop off all those presents.
And it seems like Manchester must have been extra nice this year, as Santa is treating us to lots of chances to catch a glimpse of him on his mission to deliver millions of gifts in time for Christmas.
Just like every year, Santa is dusting off his sleigh and polishing his boots to prepare for his biggest night visiting lots of kids and families. The sleigh is being filled with lots of goodies and surprises as we speak… it’s almost like he can smell the milk and cookies from here.
NASA, one of the world’s leading space companies, has been working meticulously to find out Santa’s route for 2025.
The world-renowned space agency has given us an exact time to look up at the stars to spot the main man himself and catch the glimmer of lights from his sleigh.
NASA has reveals the exact time you can see ‘Santa’s sleigh’ flying over Greater Manchester this Christmas / Credit: Tim Mossholder (via Unsplash)
As a man who has lots of experience globe trotting, it’s safe to say the big man knows how to efficiently cover as many houses as possible all in one night.
Santa’s sleigh will, coincidentally (*wink wink), be present at the same time as the International Space Station (ISS), however anyone looking to see this festive vehicle can notice the lights won’t change direction and will not flash.
This time round, Santa is swooshing round Greater Manchester on Christmas Day a whole hour earlier than last year, meaning that nice list must be the longest it’s ever been.
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Wednesday 24 December
5:21am
Santa’s sleigh lights will be visible for two minutes travelling South East to East, as the man of Christmas weighs up his North West delivery route.
6:54am
There’s a six minute opportunity to catch those bright lights of Santa’s sleigh in the Manchester sky as he travels from West to South East, finalising his map before the big night ahead.
Thursday 25 December
4:35am
It will be visible for less than a minute, no movement, in a static position. Santa will be doing a headcount of all the houses to make sure he’s not missed a single chimney.
6:08am
The sleigh will be seen for four minutes, moving from South West to South East, by now Santa will have finished his Manchester delivery drop and will be heading on over the hill to our friends in Leeds.
TfGM and Andy Burnham confirm all Bee Network fares will be frozen for 2026
Emily Sergeant
Mayor Andy Burnham and local councillors have announced that all Bee Network fares will be frozen at their current price for 2026.
In what is said to be a move to make the Bee Network more ‘inclusive and accessible’ for all, it has now been confirmed that all bus and tram fares – including the £2 fare cap for an adult single journey – will be frozen for the whole of 2026.
Since all buses came under local control back in January of this year, more than 34 million single/hopper bus journeys have been made.
In case you weren’t aware, all single tickets on Bee Network buses are now ‘hoppers’, and this means passengers can ‘hop on’ as many buses as they like within one hour for the same price as existing single tickets.
Andy Burnham confirms all Bee Network fares will be frozen for 2026 / Credit: TfGM
Subject to budget approval in the new year, it’s planned for the £2 fare set to remain for a fourth year, while all other bus fares will remain the same price for the whole of 2026.
Greater Manchester was the first area to introduce a £2 single bus fare in September 2022, and since then, the Bee Network says it has continued to ‘drive down the cost of travel’, with reductions in seven and 28-day bus tickets, as well as annual bus tickets.
Metrolink fares are also to be frozen for a sixth consecutive year.
All tram fares will be frozen as will all daily, weekly, monthly and annual bus ticket prices. 🐝 pic.twitter.com/NeZZBUoIUp
“We know that many people are struggling with the cost of living, so I am pleased to confirm that we are freezing Bee Network fares for the whole of next year,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham.
“Greater Manchester’s council leaders and I are committed to making sure that travel remains affordable and people can still get where they need to across the city region, with a bit more money in their pocket and one less thing to worry about.
The Manc -
7th July 2020 
