Manchester attack: Arena payout for psychological injuries

The Red Cross, businesses, celebrities and the public donated money to the fund

Up to £3m from a fund for victims of the Manchester attack is to be given to those with psychological injuries.

The cash from the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund will go to those who were in the foyer of the Arena on 22 May when the bomb was detonated or accessed it immediately afterwards.

It is the first time cash from the fund has been made available to those without physical injuries.

Up to 300 people could be eligible to receive a payment of £10,000.

'Functionally impaired'

The payments will go to people deemed to have been "functionally impaired" and are no longer able to do things they could prior to the attack.

Their presence on the night will be verified by Greater Manchester Police.

Those who have already received payments of £60,000 or more from the fund will not be eligible.

Earlier this month the police said 512 people were known to have been injured in the Manchester attack - including those with physical and psychological injuries.

Fundraising started hours after the bomb exploded

Sue Murphy, chair of the board of trustees of the fund, said: "The people in the foyer of the Manchester Arena that night saw and heard things that none of us should ever have to see or hear.

"I am proud to be leading a charity which treats psychological injury as seriously as it treats physical injury."

She added that anyone experiencing psychological distress who was not in the arena that night should contact the Greater Manchester Resilience Hub.

The We Love Manchester Emergency Fund was started hours after the blast.

With the latest payments, £14m of the £18m fund will have been distributed.

The first payments were made in June to the families of the bereaved, people who were in hospital for more than seven days and those who were hospitalised overnight.