A senior police official agreed that he had “defrauded the public” after the Manchester Arena bombing.
Suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated his homemade bomb backpack in the lobby of the arena, known as city room, at the end of the concert, killing 22 spectators and injuring many more on May 22, 2017.
The investigation into the attack revealed that the highest-ranking officer who pretended to be on duty that night never arrived, after noting that he was conducting a “behind-the-wheel” inspection of a delicate site.
In addition, two British Transport Police officers took a break for the two-hour lunch that saw them leave the arena for an eight-kilometre adventure to buy skewers, and no police officer was patrolling when Abedi travelled from the tram platform at Victoria Station to the city. Room.
Deputy Police Chief Sean O’Callaghan of the British Transport Police (BTP) asked through Paul Greaney QC, an investigative lawyer, if it is fair to say that BTP “disappoints the public in their police work at city hall. “‘
Mr. O’Callaghan replied: “The attack that occurred that night occurred under our supervision, yes.
Deputy Police Chief Sean O’Callaghan agreed that British transport police had made mistakes
Salman Abedi’s CCTV symbol arriving at Manchester Arena, 22 May 2017, where he detonated his bomb.
It is our duty to monitor this arena and this attack occurred when we were tracking it and there were police officers deployed or making plans to deploy to the site of the attack and they were not there.
“Then, in that term, yes.
But O’Callaghan said he agreed with the BTP’s overall assessment of an attack or violence on the night of Ariana Grande’s concert as “weak. “
The witness, who did not perform himself in the BTP at the time of the attack, said: “As for the available data, I understand why this evaluation was made. “
The investigation heard the deployment of BTP at night, which consists of a BTP workplace that was still on parole and shortly 8 months after taking the workplace and 3 PCSO, was based on an assessment of the safety and safety hazards associated with the crowd and young people. people who separated from the accompaniment. Adults.
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Edited through Associated Newspapers Ltd
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