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The Manchester Arena Inquiry has now concluded. The closure notice from the Inquiry Chairman is available here.

Volume 1: Security for the Arena
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  2. Volume 1: Security for the Arena
  3. Part 7: Policing of the City Room

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Volume 1: Security for the Arena
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Part 7: Policing of the City Room

Key findings

  • BTP was responsible for the day-to-day policing of the City Room.
  • When planning the deployment of officers to police events at the Arena, BTP failed to give adequate consideration to the threat from terrorism.
  • BTP failed to communicate and coordinate adequately with SMG and Showsec immediately before, during and after events.
  • BTP failed to give adequate consideration to the threat from terrorism when assessing the risks to the public when events were taking place. No written risk assessment was conducted by BTP for the Ariana Grande concert or events generally. BTP should have prepared a written risk assessment which expressly considered the threat from terrorism for every event attended by a substantial number of people.
  • Five BTP officers were deployed to police the Ariana Grande concert. Only four BTP officers were present in the Victoria Exchange Complex during the concert up to the point of the explosion.
  • Contrary to their briefing, no BTP officer was present in the City Room in the 30 minutes prior to the end of the concert.
  • Contrary to their briefing, the BTP officers who attended took breaks substantially and unjustifiably in excess of what they were permitted to. As a result, there were no BTP officers in the public areas of the Victoria Exchange Complex when SA walked to the City Room for the final time.
  • There was a lack of clear leadership and supervision from any police officer present within the Victoria Exchange Complex. This was a significant contributory factor to the failure by BTP to ensure a presence in the City Room in accordance with the officers’ briefing.
  • The BTP officers deployed to police the Ariana Grande concert were adequately briefed.
  • The BTP officers deployed to police the Ariana Grande concert had received adequate counter-terrorism training.
  • BTP officers failed to follow their briefing because they failed to appreciate the need, when on duty, to be alert to the possibility of a terrorist attack.
  • BTP failed to instil in the officers deployed to the Ariana Grande concert the need, when on duty, to be alert to the possibility of a terrorist attack.