British Transport Police (BTP) “disappointed other people” on the night of the Manchester Arena attack when officials left the aisle where the bomb had been detonated without surveillance, a senior officer admitted.
There were no police officers in the city corridor at the time of the attack or for most of the time, terrorist Salman Abedi hid there, despite orders to make sure he was on patrol.
Two officers took a break for lunch of more than two hours and no officer was on patrol when Abedi made his last trip from the tram platform at Victoria Station to the City Room lobby.
The top senior officer who intended to be on duty never showed up, saying he was conducting a “car” inspection at an unidentified “sensitive site. “
In testifying of the investigation, Deputy Police Chief Sean O’Callaghan of the British Transport Police admitted that they had “defrauded the public. “
Paul Greaney QC, for the investigation, asked, “Is it to say that, on 22 May 2017, the British Transport Police left the public in the City Room police?”
ACC O’Callaghan replied: “The attack that happened that night happened under our watch and not a day went by without us.
“Have we let other people down? It is our duty to monitor this domain and there were police officers who had to be deployed at the site of the attack and were not there, so in terms of one, yes. “
ACC O’Callaghan disagreed that the force had supervised its officers very well, adding: “The police have a wonderful duty and the forces are expected to be executed when responsibilities are assigned. I see it as a lack of oversight, lack of application of the task. “
BTP conducted a threat assessment of the terrorist attack at the site, according to the investigation.
ACC O’Callaghan said: “Hundreds of concerts have taken place in the country.
“There’s nothing to focus on whether an EDI used by a user is credible at the time. “
The public investigation into the suicide bombing that killed 22 other people and injured many more is expected to last until next spring.