This chronology sets out the times and dates of events relevant to Volume 1.
| Time | Event |
| 18th May 2017 | |
| 11:00 | SA landed at Manchester Airport, having returned to the UK from Libya.777 |
| 18:18 | SA was captured on CCTV walking through Manchester Victoria Station from the Metrolink tram platform to Station Approach, then along Hunts Bank where he talked to an unidentified Manchester Arena worker, and through the Trinity Way link tunnel and up the stairs into the City Room, where he went to the mezzanine level.778 |
| 18:34 | SA walked across the City Room and observed the queues into the Arena, before he walked back to the Metrolink tram platform and caught a tram.779 |
| 19:19 | Jonathan Lavery was captured on CCTV in the City Room.780 An unidentified male walked just in front of Jonathan Lavery into the crowd. |
| 19:20 | The unidentified male walked back across the City Room, in front of Jonathan Lavery.781 The unidentified male walked in the direction of the Fifty Pence staircase as Jonathan Lavery followed the unidentified male from behind.782 Jonathan Lavery then spoke with “two of the ticket touts” and while he had his back facing the unidentified male, the unidentified male walked away.783 |
| 19:21 | Jonathan Lavery was captured on CCTV as he walked towards the top of the stairs leading towards the Fifty Pence Foyer area.784 Jonathan Lavery then walked back into the City Room785, before he walked back towards the top of the stairs from the City Room and pointed down the stairs while speaking with an unidentified person.786 Jonathan Lavery then walked down the stairs heading towards the Fifty Pence Foyer area, entered the Fifty Pence Foyer area and walked through the red doors leading towards the Manchester Victoria Station platforms.787 |
| 19:23 | Jonathan Lavery was captured on CCTV as he walked past the stairs that lead down to the Manchester Victoria Station platforms.788 |
| 19:25 | Jonathan Lavery was captured on CCTV as he walked down the stairs heading towards the Manchester Victoria Station platforms.789 Jonathan Lavery then had a conversation with a female BTP officer regarding the unidentified male.790 |
| 19:27 | Jonathan Lavery was captured on CCTV as he walked back up the stairs heading towards the Fifty Pence Foyer area, re-entered the Fifty Pence Foyer area and walked back into the City Room.791 |
| 21st May 2017 | |
| 18:53 | SA was captured on CCTV walking from the Metrolink tram platform up the stairs and over the raised walkway into the City Room, while apparently speaking on a mobile telephone. He sat down on the stairs to the mezzanine level for about eight minutes, still holding his phone, then walked up the stairs to the mezzanine level and looked out over the City Room.792 |
| 19:05 | SA descended to the City Room, walked down the stairs to the Fifty Pence Piece and exited the red doors into the Manchester Victoria Station.793 |
| 19:10 | SA walked back up the stairs into the City Room, went through it and along the raised walkway into Manchester Victoria Station, where he caught a tram from the Metrolink tram platform.794 |
| 22nd May 2017 | |
| 17:00 | Thomas Rigby gave a management briefing for approximately 30 minutes which David Middleton attended.795 |
| 17:30 | David Middleton briefed staff “within 2 or 3 minutes.”796 |
| 17:41 | Jordan Beak took up his position close to the Arena entrance doors in the City Room797 and approached his colleague Daniel Perry on the Plus View entrance doors.798 |
| 17:42 | Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry entered the ‘Plus View’ (VIP) entrance between the Arena doors and the box office. They walked onto the Arena concourse and are then joined a group of Showsec staff gathered on the Arena concourse by the doors to the City Room.799 |
| 17:45 | Jordan Beak left the group of Showsec staff and walked towards the south concourse and Hunts Bank exit. Jordan Beak then returned and walked past the group of Showsec staff towards, and into, the Plus View entrance.800 |
| 17:46 | Mohammed Agha exited the Plus View entrance and walked into and across the City Room.801
Kyle Lawler entered and exited the Plus View entrance and walked across the City Room before he exited the City Room onto the raised walkway at Manchester Victoria Station at 17:47.802 |
| 17:47 | Mohammed Agha took up his position in front of the emergency exit doors in the City Room.803
Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry emerged from the Plus View entrance into the City Room.804 Jordan Beak walked towards, and across the face of, the City Room doors leading into the Arena concourse. Jordan Beak walked to the far side of the City Room by the white double doors.805 Kyle Lawler and Robert Atkinson walked across the raised walkway at Manchester Victoria Station toward the end of the raised walkway at the top of the stairs.806 |
| 17:51 | Jordan Beak walked across the City Room amongst numerous concertgoers. He passed the steps leading to the mezzanine level, with the steps on his right, and towards the City Room doors and Plus View entrance. Jordan Beak entered the Plus View entrance into the Arena. Jordan Beak entered and then exited the Arena concourse through the Plus View entrance and stood facing the Plus View entrance at 17:52.807 |
| 17:53 | Jordan Beak walked across the City Room where he approached Daniel Perry and pointed towards the City Room doors. Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry stood amongst the concertgoers and Jordan Beak assisted members of the public. Jordan Beak then made his way across the City Room and towards the raised walkway exit doors at 17:54.808 |
| 17:54 | Jordan Beak walked along the front of the City Room doors, made his way past the Plus View entrance and walked toward the mezzanine level steps in the City Room. At 17:55, Jordan Beak stopped and engaged with Daniel Perry in front of the emergency exit doors in the City Room. Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry stood in this position for three minutes interacting with members of the public.809 |
| 17:58 | Jordan Beak walked up the steps to the mezzanine level. Jordan Beak walked back down the steps into the City Room at 17:59.810 |
| 18:00 | Jordan Beak walked towards the City Room doors and stood with Daniel Perry by the ticket booths in the City Room. Both Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry walk towards the City Room towards the raised walkway exit doors and back again. Mohammed Agha joined Jordan Beak at 18:03, by the emergency exit doors. Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry stood together amongst the crowd in the City Room, before Jordan Beak walked toward the Arena and re-entered the Arena concourse through the Plus View entrance doors. Jordan Beak joined David Middleton by the City Room doors ahead of the doors being opened to the public.811 |
| 18:23 | PC Bullough and PSCO Renshaw entered the Manchester Victoria Station at the war memorial entrance. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked across the station concourse at 18:24 and walked up the stairs to the raised walkway that lead to the City Room.812 |
| 18:25 | Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry were positioned on the Arena concourse by the City Room doors, before they passed through the Plus View entrance into the City Room at 18:26. Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry walked towards the Trinity Way exit and down the steps toward the car park and Trinity Way link tunnel. Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry walked through the Trinity Way link tunnel towards the exit, and at 18:28 spoke with members of the public at the Trinity Way entrance into the Arena.813
PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked along the raised walkway and entered the City Room. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw stood near the stairs to the mezzanine level.814 |
| 18:29 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw entered Manchester Victoria Station from the direction of Long Millgate/Todd Street and walked through the station concourse. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw took up position near the ticket office opposite the stairs that lead up to the raised walkway until 18:30.815 |
| 18:31 | Once again, SA was captured on CCTV (without his backpack) arriving at the Metrolink tram platform at Manchester Victoria Station.816
Jordan Beak stood on the pavement by Ring Road at the front of the Trinity Way link tunnel entrance into the Arena.817 |
| 18:32 | SA arrived at Metrolink tram platform and started to make his way toward the City Room.818
Jordan Beak walked back through the Trinity Way link tunnel toward the Arena and returned to the City Room. Jordan Beak remained in the City Room before he walked back down the steps toward the Trinity Way link tunnel entrance and through to the exit on Ring Road at 18:37. Jordan Beak walked back through the Trinity Way link tunnel towards the Fifty Pence Piece, that leads to the City Room and Arena car park. 819 PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked out of the City Room and onto the raised walkway. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw spoke with a member of the public before they entered the City Room and took up their position near the stairs to the mezzanine level.820 |
| 18:33 | SA walked through the station concourse and up the steps to the raised walkway.821 SA walked in front of Robert Atkinson and Kyle Lawler who were standing at the top of the steps on the raised walkway, SA appears to be looking at his mobile phone.822 |
| 18:34 | SA walked along the raised walkway toward the City Room and CCTV captured SA a few metres outside the entrance to the City Room.823
SA then returned over the raised walkway to Manchester Victoria Station, had a brief conversation with Robert Atkinson and Kyle Lawler at 18:35, before leaving Manchester Victoria Station and getting into a taxi at 18:36.824 |
| 18:36 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked up the stairs to the mezzanine level. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked back down the stairs and again took up their position near the stairs to the mezzanine level at 18:38.825 |
| 18:41 | Jordan Beak walked toward the double doors leading into the Arena car park and walked from Trinity Way Disabled access/egress ramp into the City Room. Jordan Beak made his way to the Plus View entrance into the Arena.826 |
| 18:48 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked up the stairs to the mezzanine level for the second time. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw stood on the mezzanine level looking over the City Room. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked back down the stairs and out of the City Room onto the raised walkway at 19:20, where they continued to walk across the raised walkway. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked down the stairs onto the station concourse at 19:21 and joined fellow BTP officers near the war memorial at 19:22.827 |
| 19:27 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw exited Manchester Victoria Station and entered a patrol vehicle parked outside on Station Approach. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw drove away in the patrol vehicle at 19:28.828 |
| 19:31 | Jordan Beak approached Mohammed Agha before Mohammed Agha left his position to walk towards the Arena entrance doors at 19:32. Mohammed Agha walked through the Arena entrance doors and returned to the City Room from the toilets before he again took up his position in front of the emergency exit doors at 19:36.829 |
| 19:39 | Kyle Lawler walked down the stairs and across the station concourse before he turned back towards the stairs of the raised walkway.830 |
| 19:44 | Kyle Lawler walked toward the entrance doors for the City Room and entered the City Room.831 Mohammed Agha and Kyle Lawler speak briefly before Kyle Lawler exited the City Room and took up his position at the top of the stairs of the raised walkway.832 |
| 20:01 | Jordan Beak stood at the City Room door leading into the Arena concourse and moved between the City Room and the Arena concourse.833 |
| 20:08 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw parked outside Manchester Victoria Station and alighted from the patrol vehicle.834 |
| 20:09 | Jordan Beak walked across the City Room toward the Trinity Way exit and pressed the button to call the lift but did not enter. Jordan Beak walked toward and across the non-public access footbridge into Manchester Victoria Station, before he exited through controlled barriers at 20:11. Jordan Beak then walked through the station concourse and entered the elevator to the raised walkway. Jordan Beak walked up to the raised walkway and passed Kyle Lawler and Robert Atkinson at 20:15 before he walked across the raised walkway and entered the City Room at 20:16. Jordan Beak then entered the Arena concourse where he remained for several minutes with David Middleton.835
PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw entered Manchester Victoria Station with bags of food and walked through the ticket barriers onto the station’s platforms on their way to the Northern Rail office on Platform 3.836 |
| 20:30 | SA returned to Manchester Victoria Station, again by tram, this time with his backpack. He was captured on CCTV making his way through the station toilets and entering a cubicle at 20:37, where he remained until 20:48.837
Mohammed Agha walked across the City Room and spoke with a member of the public until he took up his position again at 20:33.838 |
| 20:37 | Kyle Lawler walked toward the entrance doors for the City Room and entered the City Room.839 |
| 20:38 | Mohammed Agha walked a short distance away from the emergency exit doors and spoke to Kyle Lawler.840 At 20:40, Kyle Lawler exited the City Room and took up his position at the top of the stairs of the raised walkway.841 |
| 20:48 | SA left the station toilets and walked past PCSO Brown and PSCO Morrey on his way to the lift up to the raised walkway. SA entered the lift and began walking to the City Room, but briefly hid behind a column.842 |
| 20:50 | SA walked past Kyle Lawler and Robert Atkinson at the top of the stairs of the raised walkway.843 |
| 20:51 | SA entered the City Room and walked up the McDonald’s staircase to the mezzanine.844 He remained there until 21:10.845 SA is seen by Mohammed Agha.846 |
| 20:54 | PC Bullough walked up Hunts Bank toward the entrance to Manchester Victoria Station and walked through the station after having a cigarette. PC Bullough walked onto the train station platforms at 20:55 toward the Northern Rail office.847 |
| 21:04 | Kyle Lawler and Robert Atkinson left their position on the raised walkway, entered and walked through the City Room into the Arena concourse area and went on a break.848 |
| 21:10 | SA left the mezzanine level and walked back across the raised walkway to Manchester Victoria Station. He wandered around the station for approximately 20 minutes.849 Mohammed Agha is aware that SA left the City Room at 21:11.850
Mohammed Agha is approached by an unknown member of Showsec staff who stood at the emergency exit doors while Mohammed Agha walked toward the Arena doors and entered the Arena concourse at 21:11.851 |
| 21:23 | Mohammed Agha entered the City Room from the Arena concourse as he returned from his break and took up his position in front of the emergency exit doors.852
Kyle Lawler entered the Arena concourse from the VIP Lounge as he returned from his break and took up his position on the Arena concourse near the City Room exit doors. Kyle Lawler remained in this position until 22:21.853 |
| 21:33 | SA returned to the City Room for the last time. In the lift up to the raised walkway he can be seen adjusting wiring beneath his clothing. He walked up the right-hand set of stairs to the mezzanine level again and remained there until 22:30.854 SA is seen once again by Mohammed Agha.855 |
| 21:35 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked from the Northern Rail office onto the station platforms and to the station concourse. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked across the station concourse toward the exit at 21:36.856 |
| 21:39 | Julie Merchant and William Drysdale came up the steps from the Trinity Way entrance and walked into the City Room. William Drysdale walked across the City Room into the Arena concourse. Julie Merchant walked behind William Drysdale and also went into the Arena concourse. 857 |
| 21:41 | William Drysdale walked across the City Room before he walked up the steps to the mezzanine.858 |
| 21:42 | Julie Merchant left the Arena concourse and entered the City Room before she approached her colleagues in the City Room who stood near the stairs to the mezzanine level on the McDonald’s side.859 |
| 21:43 | William Drysdale is standing on the mezzanine level on the right-hand side.860 |
| 21:47 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw entered the City Room and walked toward the Arena entrance doors. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw spoke with Showsec staff at 21:48.861 |
| 21:49 | Christopher Wild sits outside a pub at Manchester Victoria Station.862 |
| 21:52 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked away from the Showsec staff and walked back across the City Room. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw are approached by a member of the public at 21:53.863 |
| 21:55 | Mohammed Agha spoke with PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw.864
At 21:56, William Drysdale came down the stairs from the mezzanine level.865 |
| 21:57 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw stood inside the City Room.866 |
| 21:58 | Julie Merchant stood near the stairs to the mezzanine level on the McDonald’s side with her colleagues. At 21:58, Julie Merchant walked towards the merchandise stand in the City Room.867 William Drysdale stood near the doors which lead to the raised walkway.868 |
| 21:59 | Julie Merchant walked away from the merchandise stand in the City Room.869 PC Bullough appeared to turn toward Julie Merchant with PCSO Renshaw. Julie Merchant and PC Bullough spoke.870 Julie Merchant raised her arm.871
PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw exited the City Room onto the raised walkway.872 William Drysdale stood near the doors which lead to the raised walkway, before Julie Merchant stood with William Drysdale.873 |
| 22:00 | David Middleton stood inside the City Room in front of the doors to the Arena and spoke to members of the public.874
PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw walked down the stairs of the raised walkway onto the station concourse.875 |
| 22:01 | Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry escorted an unknown male along the Arena concourse and toward the doors that lead out of the City Room. Jordan Beak stood in the doorway that leads into the Arena concourse, with the unknown male and two members of the public: Andrea Bradbury and Barbara Whittaker.876 The unknown male and Jordan Beak spoke, then the unknown male walked away from the doors that lead into the Arena concourse and walked across the City Room. The unknown male walked up the steps to the mezzanine level. At 22:02, Jordan Beak and Daniel Perry walked towards the JD Williams’ side stairs and asked members of the public to clear the area, before they walked back across the City Room and back into the Arena concourse.877
William Drysdale left the City Room.878 PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw stood near the war memorial inside Manchester Victoria Station.879 |
| 22:03 | David Middleton was positioned inside the City Room in front of the doors to the Arena and remained in this general area for several minutes.880 |
| 22:09 | Jordan Beak commenced his pre-egress check.881 Jordan Beak exited the Arena concourse doors into the City Room, made his way across the City Room toward the Trinity Way exit via the Fifty Pence Staircase. He walked through the Fifty Pence Piece to the Trinity Way link tunnel exit. Jordan Beak pressed the button to call the elevator before he spoke to a member of the public and then headed toward the disabled access ramp which leads to the Trinity Way exit. Jordan Beak walked toward the non-public access doors into Manchester Victoria Station at 22:10 and walked across the non-public access bridge toward and down the steps leading into Manchester Victoria Station at 22:11.882 |
| 22:10 | Christopher Wild walked across the raised walkway toward the City Room. Christopher Wild entered the City Room and walked up the stairs onto the mezzanine level at 22:11.883
PC Bullough exited the Manchester Victoria Station onto Station Approach. PC Bullough stood on the corner of Station Approach and Hunts Bank and directed traffic. PC Bullough re-entered Manchester Victoria Station from Station Approach at 22:11.884 |
| 22:12 | Christopher Wild spoke to SA.885
Jordan Beak assisted two unknown females through the turnstiles in Manchester Victoria Station before he walked with them across the station concourse toward the Metrolink tram stop at 22:13. Jordan Beak accompanied the two unknown females onto the Metrolink tram platform at 22:14.886 PC Bullough stood on the station concourse near the war memorial. PCSO Renshaw took up his position with PC Bullough near the war memorial.887 |
| 22:14 | Christopher Wild walked down the stairs from the mezzanine level, approached and spoke to Mohammed Agha before Christopher Wild walked back up the stairs that lead to the mezzanine level at 22:15.888 Mohammed Agha remained in position in front of the emergency exit doors.889 |
| 22:16 | Christopher Wild walked down the stairs from the mezzanine level and out the doors to the raised walkway.890 |
| 22:17 | David Middleton briefly spoke with Kyle Lawler who had exited the Arena concourse. Kyle Lawler then walked back onto the Arena concourse.891
Jordan Beak walked along the raised walkway towards the City Room, entered the City Room and walked past a merchandise stand to his left in the City Room. Jordan Beak approached David Middleton with a white sheet of paper in his hands and stood in front of the City Room doors that lead into the Arena concourse. Jordan Beak entered the Arena concourse through the City Room doors at 22:18. Jordan Beak walked towards the Hunts Bank exit at 22:19 before going out of CCTV view.892 PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw exited Manchester Victoria Station onto Station Approach and directed traffic. PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw stood at the entrance to Manchester Victoria Station at 22:18.893 |
| 22:19 | David Middleton was positioned in the City Room facing the centre of the foyer area.894 |
| 22:20 | David Middleton and Daniel Perry were positioned in the City Room facing the centre of the foyer.895
Jordan Beak re-appeared on CCTV and walked toward the City Room doors across the Arena concourse before he entered the City Room. Jordan Beak stood with David Middleton and Daniel Perry in front of the City Room doors, before David Middleton and Daniel Perry left Jordan Beak in that position at 22:23. Jordan Beak then moved to the left and stood facing the City Room doors at 22:24.896 |
| 22:21 | PC Bullough and PCSO Renshaw were outside Manchester Victoria Railway Station on Station Approach and spoke with a member of the public.897 |
| 22:22 | David Middleton entered the Arena concourse and started to open a number of the doors that lead out into the City Room at 22.23.898
Kyle Lawler entered the City Room from the Arena concourse and walked across the City Room where Mohammed Agha walked toward Kyle Lawler and they spoke at 22:23. Kyle Lawler began to walk toward the stairs that lead up to the mezzanine level but then walked away from the stairs, across the City Room and stood near the doors that lead into Manchester Victoria Station.899 Kyle Lawler attempted to make two calls to control.900 Christopher Wild entered the City Room from the raised walkway and walked up the stairs to the mezzanine level. Christopher Wild looked towards the area where SA was seated before he joined Julie Whitley where they remained until detonation at 22:31.901 |
| 22:24 | Kyle Lawler and Mohammed Agha walked toward each other across the City Room and spoke.902 They were then approached by unknown members of the public. Kyle Lawler accompanied two members of the public toward the exit doors. Mohammed Agha then took up his position in front of the emergency exit doors.903
David Middleton walked into the City Room and took up his position in front of the Arena doors and remained in this position until 22.30.904 Jordan Beak momentarily stepped into the Arena concourse but returned back into the City Room. Jordan Beak stood and looked out over the City Room from this position until 22:29.905 |
| 22:25 | Kyle Lawler and Mohammed Agha walked toward each other across the City Room and spoke.906 Kyle Lawler walked out of the City Room, across the raised walkway and Mohammed Agha again took up his position in front of the emergency exit doors.907 |
| 22:26 | Kyle Lawler and Robert Atkinson walked back to the end of the raised walkway and took up his position at the top of the stairs. Kyle Lawler appeared to take a pen and white piece of paper from his trousers. Kyle Lawler placed the paper onto the glass side of the raised walkway and appeared to be writing on it.908 |
| 22:29 | Jordan Beak momentarily joined colleagues at the centre of the doors in the City Room, before moving back to the left. Jordan Beak remained at this point up to 22:31.909 |
| 22:30 | David Middleton remained at his position in the City Room and in front of the Arena doors.910
Mohammed Agha remained at his position in front of the emergency exit doors911 when SA walked down the stairs from the mezzanine level and across the City Room towards the Arena doors.912 |
| 22:31 | SA detonated the bomb. |