Manchester Arena bomb review: Survivors urged to open up

Survivors of the Manchester Arena bomb are being asked to open up about their experiences to an independent inquiry.

The review will examine how the emergency services responded, and consider claims fire crews were stopped from entering the arena for hours.

Twenty-two people were killed when Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb after an Ariana Grande show on 22 May.

Lord Kerslake, chair of the review panel, said the investigation would "give voice" to the victims' families.

The review, commissioned by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, will comprise a panel including experts in disaster response and humanitarian assistance.

It will not look at whether the attack could have been prevented.

Children's charity the NSPCC will be providing a helpline to help those who wish to share their experiences.

Lord Kerslake said: "I really want people to come forward and give us their experiences.

"The review needs to understand exactly what happened so that we can learn the lessons of this terrible night.

"We also want to be able to highlight where things went well.

"We want to hear about the heroes who helped people and share that too."

The panel is aiming to submit an initial report in January, with a full report and recommendations submitted to Mr Burnham in March.

The panel has already met some of the victims' families.