Children among 22 killed in Manchester suicide blast

A suicide attack at the end of a pop concert at Manchester Arena has killed 22 people, including children, and injured 59 others.

The blast at the concert of American singer Ariana Grande happened at 10.35pm last night.

After the attack many local people took to social media to offer spare beds and rooms for those stranded in the city.

Greater Manchester chief constable Ian Hopkins said: "This has been the most horrific incident we have had to face in Greater Manchester and one that we all hoped we would never see.

"Families and many young people were out to enjoy a concert at the Manchester Arena and have lost their lives. Our thoughts are with those 22 victims that we now know have died, the 59 people who have been injured and their loved ones."

He said victims were being treated at eight hospitals across Manchester.

"This is a fast-moving investigation and we have significant resources deployed to both the investigation and the visible patrols that people will see across Greater Manchester as they wake up to news of the events last night," he continued.

"This will include armed officers as people would expect. More than 400 officers have been involved in this operation during the night.

"We have been treating this as a terrorist incident and we believe, at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man. The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network.

"The attacker, I can confirm, died at the arena. We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated causing this atrocity.

"We would ask people not to speculate on his details or to share names. There is a complex and wide ranging investigation underway.

"Our priority is to work with the National Counter Terrorist Policing Network and UK intelligence services to establish more details about the individual who carried out this attack."

He thanked the emergency services and other agencies who worked tirelessly through the night in very difficult circumstances.

"Their response has been outstanding," he said.

"There remains a large cordon in place around Manchester Arena and Victoria Train Station which will be in place for some time. The station will remain closed while a detailed forensic search is underway. People should plan their route to work and follow Transport for Greater Manchester for updates on social media.

"Terrorists attempt to disrupt our lives and create distrust and fear in communities. We have a long history in Greater Manchester of communities standing together during difficult times. In the coming days we will be working closely with community leaders to address any issues.

"It is important that we all continue to remain vigilant, but also to go about our daily lives. We would ask people to be alert and report any suspicious activity to police on the Anti-Terrorist Hotline 0800 789321 or dialling 999.

"As people are waking up to this tragic news on what is a sad day for Greater Manchester, the officers and staff from Greater Manchester Police and the other emergency services will continue to do all they can to help get us through the difficult days ahead."

Police are asking anyone with images or footage from last night that they believe can assist in the investigation to upload them to Ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk or Ukpoliceimageappeal.com.

Manchester Airport said flights will operate as normal today but some transport links might be affected.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the terrible events at Manchester Arena," it added on Twitter.

Ariana Grande tweeted: "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words."

She has reportedly suspended the rest of her UK tour. She was due to play at London’s O2 Arena later this week.

Following the atrocity, the main UK political parties have suspended general election campaigning.

Prime Minister Theresa May will chair an emergency Cobra meeting in London today.