Manchester Arena attack survivor suing conspiracy theorist who claims it was staged
Research from Kings College London shows that of 4,000 people surveyed as many as 14% think that crisis actors were probably involved in the Manchester Arena attack.
Martin HIbbert, a survivor of the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack who was paralysed from the waist down, is suing a conspiracy theorist who claims that the tragedy was staged.
Hibbert and his daughter Eve, who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the attack, have both been targeted by UK conspiracy theorist Richard D. Hall.
Richard D. Hall maintains that the attack was a hoax and has physically tracked down survivors of the Manchester Arena attack to determine whether it was fake.
The conspiracy theorist, who says that those killed in the attack are really alive and living abroad, has also been profiting from his theories – selling books and DVDs outlining his theories, as well as sharing videos on Youtube and speaking at events.
The shocking events have been uncovered by the BBC’s disinformation correspondent Mariana Spring and will be aired as part of a BBC Panorama investigation and Radio 4 podcast investigation later today.
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Speaking on the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme this morning, Martin Hibbert said that whilst he supported freedom of speech he felt that Hall was “crossing the line” by “making money from people’s misery”.
He told the programme: “I’m friends with a lot of the deceased’s family and I’m friends and in contact with a lot of the survivors. A lot of them people are recluses in their own home, they’re too scared to even come out, to even come into Manchester, and that’s what kind of made me deal with it head-on.
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“I’m not having it, especially with Eve, my daughter, she’s got enough on her plate at the minute without silly people like this.”
He continued: “It’s not about kind of silencing people but when people cross a line, when err, you know, they’re going out and you know, seeing people at their home, filming people when they don’t even know they’re being filmed and they’re writing books, making money from people’s misery, that’s when it has to stop, and that’s what we’re going to do.
“I’ve spoke to my legal team and you know they’re going to get on with it, so we will shut him up and we’ll shut him down, and it will then act as a precedent.
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“If you’re going to do this, if you’re going to cross the line, then you’ll be stopped and you won’t make money from it, and that’s what you’ve got to do.
“He’s a bully at the end of the day and er you’ve got to go down to his level to teach him a lesson and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Commenting on the news, Andy Burnham said that it was “deeply worrying” before adding: “The law needs to be changed to make it a serious criminal offence to peddle these offensive lies and conspiracies with custodial penalties.”
The actions of Richard D. Hall are emblematic of a general rise in UK conspiracy theorists following the pandemic, said Spring.
This is deeply worrying.
The law needs to be changed to make it a serious criminal offence to peddle these offensive lies and conspiracies with custodial penalties. https://t.co/9bviZGrtrk
According to research from Kings College London, of 4,000 UK people surveyed as many as 14% said they thought that crisis actors were probably involved in the Manchester Arena attack.
The Panorama investigation will air on the BBC tonight, whilst the Radio 4 podcast series is available on BBC Sounds now. Youtube has removed Hall’s channel and another one that promoted his content following conversations with the BBC.
Flashbacks: The timelapse of the Trafford Centre construction that’s gone viral
Danny Jones
The Trafford Centre might look like some decadent Roman emperor’s palace or as if it was plucked from the heart of Ancient Grecian city, but as anyone old enough to remember it’s opening and/or construction will tell you, it seems strange to think its not even been around for three decades yet.
As Greater Manchester’s and one of the North West’s most famous shopping centres full stop, the iconic attraction first began being built back in 1996, when John Major was Prime Minister, Manchester United were still Premier League champions, Britpop was at its peak and George Michael was number one.
It’s fair to say that a lot has changed since then and although Oasis might be back come 2025, The Trafford Centre and surrounding area are pretty unrecgonisable compared to nearly 30 years ago.
All told, it took approximately 27 months to erect the neo-classical epicentre of all things shopping, leisure, food and fanciness – and here’s what the process looked like:
With the initial 14 million sq ft shopping centre being completed in September 1998 following approximately 810 days of work, The Trafford Centre debuted to the Manc public and beyond.
It took more than 3,000 builders to bring the 60 hectare site to life at the peak of construction and since then the plot has only grown bigger, bolder and more ambitious over time.
Present day, it has everything from cinema screens and a mini Legoland to a Sea Life location, multiple bowling alleys and countless other forms of entertainment beyond just rows of shops and restaurants – hence why it remains busy pretty much year-round.
Back then, British celebrities, popular local names of note, politicians, dignitaries and prominent figures from the retail industry got to visit as part of exclusive preview events in the days before its launch date.
You can see the spectacle and fascination surrounding the official opening event here:
Seems surreal watching this today but the construction of the Trafford Centre was a huge moment not just for 0161 but all of the North.
But of course, the entire complex itself has seen multiple extensions over the years, including massive developments such as Barton Square and The Great Hall.
At the outset, it cost more than £600 million to build The Trafford Centre; the major renovations mentioned above which took place in 2008 cost another £100m and the Trafford Palazzo revamp around a decade later came in at around £75m.
There has and always will be lots of money put behind this intruguing monument to modern consumerism, and big brands will continue to flock to open units within the huge expanse whenever they can: some of the most recent being Archie’s, Flying Tiger, Sephora, Tiffany, Gymshark and more.
We’ll admit the aesthetic still makes us double-take from time to time (though not as much as confused Londoners visiting for the first time), but it’s not like this part of the world hasn’t boasted plenty of other curiosities in the past…
Featured Images — Charles Bowring (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
UK News
You can win a free hotel stay for you and a friend as part of Random Acts of Kindness Day
Danny Jones
Fancy doing a loved one a solid and scoring them such much-needed rest and relaxation this month courtesy of a free hotel stay? You’re a kind soul, of course you do.
To help celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day this year, Travelodge are giving away a handful of free hotel stays at locations up and down the UK as a way of letting friends, colleagues and just all-around good eggs know that they’re top bananas.
Now that’s the kind of unconditional positivity we can get behind.
So, if you know someone who could really benefit from a fresh hotel bed, a ridiculously long shower and a lovely British mini-break this year, keep reading.
If you’re wondering how it all works, it’s quite simple – to enter the prize draw and nominate a bestie or beloved, you simply have to tag them in the Instagram reel above.
Alternatively, you can @ them in the comments on Travelodge’s Facebook or nominate them HERE, and make sure you give lots of lovely reasons as to why they deserve it, of course.
But wait for it, here’s the best bit: if they happen to be selected YOU get to win a free hotel stay too. Happy days times two!
Good friends = good prizes on Random Acts of Kindness Day 2025.
And that really is about as complicated as it gets; the lucky winners must book their stay at a Travelodge hotel within a month of winning the prize and enjoy the room within the next 12 months but, other that that, it’s all pretty straightforward and lovely.
If you love it around so much you have no interest in leaving, there of course multiple Greater Manchester locations (Credit: Travelodge)
One last thing, you must enter by before 11.59pm tonight (Monday, 17 Feb) in order to be eligible and all valid entries will then be selected via a random draw by 27 February 2024.
Georgina Pellant -
31st October 2022 
