Manchester bomb: Megan Hurley remembered on 21st birthday

The blossom tree was planted on a park where Megan loved to spend time with friends

A ceremony of remembrance has taken place on what would have been the 21st birthday of a teenage girl killed in the Manchester Arena bombing.

Megan Hurley, from Liverpool, died in May 2017 after attending an Ariana Grande concert with her brother Bradley, who was badly injured.

Family and friends came together to plant a blossom tree in her honour.

Her family told the BBC it was "another heartbreaking milestone as we remember Megan on her 21st Birthday".

"We are making a start on what will eventually become a local memorial for Megan - a peaceful place where friends and family can visit to reflect and remember."

At midday in a Halewood park, where Megan "loved to spend time" with friends, those in attendance took turns to dig soil around the blossom tree.

Family and friends gathered on what would have been Megan's landmark birthday

St. Nicholas' Church, where Megan was christened and where her funeral service took place, tolled its bells 21 times as the planting took place.

Parents Michael and Joanne, and brother Bradley, told the BBC "Megan was everything we wanted her to be and we're so proud of everything she had become and achieved".

Megan's parents Michael and Joanne Hurley remember how they "were one big happy family"

After the bombing, which killed 22 people, they created the Megan Hurley Foundation to support self-employed families who find themselves unable to work due to the loss of a child.

"At the time of the attack, we were a self-employed family and were left with no choice but to close the family business, having just lost Megan and dedicating our time to Bradley's recovery."

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"Anyone who has suffered a loss will know that there are unplanned expenses - and, further, there is little support for the self-employed."

Since gaining charitable status, they said the foundation has helped over 30 families in need.

Earlier this month, a public inquiry into the Manchester Arena attack published its final report and was critical of MI5's performance in the lead-up to the bombing.