Top judge to hear Manchester Arena bomb inquests

One of England's most senior judges is to be the coroner at the inquests into the deaths of the Manchester Arena bombing victims.

Sir John Saunders has been selected by the lord chief justice, after consultation with the lord chancellor.

Twenty-two people were killed in the attack by suicide bomber Salman Abedi at the end of gig on 22 May 2017.

Among the prominent trials heard by Sir John was the News Of The World phone hacking trial in 2014.

Sir John Saunders is a highly respected retired High Court judge best known for presiding in 2010-11 over the trials of a number of MPs prosecuted as a result of the parliamentary expenses scandal. He sentenced several of them to prison terms exceeding 12 months.

In 2013 -14 he presided over the lengthy hacking trial at the Old Bailey that resulted from phone-hacking scandal.

Four ex-journalists at the now defunct News of the World were jailed. Sir John gave Andy Coulson, the paper's former editor who went on to become head of communications to Prime Minister David Cameron, 18 months imprisonment for conspiracy to hack phones.

Sir John is known to be patient, good-humoured and sensitive to the needs of witnesses and victims.

The lord chief justice's office said: "A full legal and administrative team is in the process of being formed in order to support the inquest process.

"A pre-inquest review hearing will be conducted in October."

A memorial service marking the first anniversary of the attack was held in May.

It was attended by Prince William and Prime Minister Theresa May.