Manchester Arena Inquiry: Attack on crowds leaving 'not on our radar'

Counter-terrorism advisers help identify "vulnerabilities" at a site

A police counter-terrorism security adviser said prior to the Manchester bombing the risk of an attack on crowds leaving an event was not considered.

Liz Forster, Greater Manchester Police's principal adviser, told the public inquiry into the arena attack: "It's changed the way we operate."

Ms Forster agreed it was a watershed moment as the threat to crowds in the foyer was not "on our radar" then.

Twenty-two people died as they left an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.

The inquiry at Manchester Magistrates' Court is looking into the security advice police gave to the venue.

The attack killed 22 people and injured hundreds more

The threat to people in the arena foyer "wasn't in sharp focus" at the time, Ms Forster told the hearing.

"This sounds dreadful, but it wasn't the remit so we didn't look at crowds outside of that site perimeter.

"At that time, 2014, that is not something that was on our radar."

She said her counter-terrorism advisers helped venues by "identifying vulnerabilities at a site that…. a dedicated attacker may take advantage of".

Their advice "won't necessarily stop an attack, it will help to mitigate the outcome or deter an attacker", she said.

She agreed the arena attack was a watershed moment for giving counter-terrorism security advice.

"It was a totally different methodology… the attack for egress, so waiting around for people to come out."

'Unacceptable'

The inquiry heard Ken Upham, GMP's counter-terrorism security adviser working with the arena prior to the attack, was "not fit to give evidence".

Since the attack, the arena has appointed a permanent in-house security adviser, the hearing was told.

The inquiry also heard Manchester City Council has no record of the minimum agreed number of stewards for events at the arena despite a condition of its licence saying it must have a certain number of staff working at concerts.

The authority's principal licensing officer, Fraser Swift, told the hearing he checked the records and could not find the minimum number which Sir John Saunders chair of the inquiry said was "quite unacceptable".

The inquiry continues.