Manchester Arena Inquiry: Police lauded for 'exemplary' response

Former counter-terrorism chief Ian Dickinson has been giving evidence to the inquiry

British Transport Police officers' response to the Manchester Arena attack has been described as "exemplary", despite significant command failures.

The officers were among the first to enter the foyer area, where the May 2017 suicide bombing killed 22 people.

Policing experts praised their efforts at a public inquiry into the atrocity.

Ex-Police chief Ian Dickinson said BTP officers "supported the injured in spite of operational tactical command rather than being enabled by it".

The inquiry previously heard there were "significant failures" by five officers on duty in the lead-up to the attack, including two of them driving away from the arena to buy kebabs on a two-hour break.

Asked by counsel to the inquiry Paul Greaney QC for his views on the post-blast conduct of frontline officers, Mr Dickinson, a former counter-terrorism chief in Scotland, said: "Exemplary is a good word, I think."

He said BTP officers were left to operate alone in a high-risk area with the possibility of a marauding terrorist still at large without tactical or operational command.

Twenty-two people were killed in the May 2017 bombing

Supt Kyle Gordon was nominated as the bronze commander to co-ordinate events at the scene but he did not arrive until more than two and a half hours after the bombing, the inquiry has heard.

He decided to take a taxi from his temporary accommodation in Blackpool but Mr Dickinson said he should have been picked up and he could have been at the arena in "well under half the time".

Robin Smith, who was BTP's gold commander on the night of the attack, was criticised for failing to identify where Supt Gordon was located and the length of his journey.

Policing experts also found another senior officer, Ch Insp Andrea Graham, should have taken on the bronze role when she arrived ahead of Supt Gordon.

Mr Dickinson said it was "very puzzling" why the tactical commander, Ch Supt Allan Gregory, based in the organisation's Birmingham control room, took 30 minutes to update himself with events from the computer log before he assumed command.

Mr Greaney asked the expert if that period of time had any impact in terms of effective tactical command being brought to bear.

Mr Dickinson replied: "There was no tactical command brought to bear on the scene as far as we can tell."

He agreed there was no effective communication between BTP and the other emergency services and that the lack of either operational or effective tactical command at the scene was "very concerning".

A police sergeant's communication, known as a Methane message, which provided early details of the scene, was also not passed on to other emergency services in what was a "significant error", the inquiry also heard.

The inquiry continues.

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