Manchester Arena Inquiry: Spotting suspicious people 'not top of my list', says steward

A security steward who worked on the night of the Manchester Arena bomb has told the inquiry looking for suspicious people "wasn't at the top of my list".

The inquiry saw CCTV footage of Salman Abedi approaching Robert Atkinson nearly four hours before he killed himself and 22 others on 22 May 2017.

Bomber Abedi was then later captured on camera walking past Mr Atkinson and a colleague, carrying a large rucksack.

Mr Atkinson said he did not recall having a conversation with Abedi.

He was positioned on the footbridge leading from Manchester Victoria railway station to Manchester Arena's foyer.

The CCTV showed Showsec employee Mr Atkinson and Abedi standing "at a conversational distance" for a few seconds at about 18:35 BST, before also being approached by fellow Showsec staff member Kyle Lawler.

Mr Atkinson said it was very common for members of the public to ask him questions about concert timings and details of events.

He said he did not notice Abedi walking past him on the bridge at about 20:50, carrying a "very heavy" rucksack.

Even if he had have done, Mr Atkinson said he would not have thought Abedi suspicious, because he was close to the railway station.

Abedi detonated his bomb at 22:31 as fans left Ariana Grande's concert.

The inquiry heard Mr Atkinson's role as a steward was "a customer service role more than a security role".

However he said he knew what to do if he had any concerns about a suspicious person, namely to report it to a radio holder who he would expect to contact control.

John Cooper QC, representing some of the bereaved families, asked him: "The reason you didn't think this man carrying the heavy rucksack might be suspicious was because you weren't really looking for anyone like that were you?"

He replied: "No".

"Your role was nothing to do with looking for suspicious people?," Mr Cooper said.

"It wasn't at the top of my list, no," Mr Atkinson replied.

The court was also shown CCTV footage of Mr Atkinson and Mr Lawler returning from a break just after 22:20, and walking through the foyer.

Mr Lawler then went to speak to another steward - Mohammed Agha - and then broke off and walked to the bottom of stairs leading up to the mezzanine level.

Mr Atkinson returned to his position on the footbridge.

He said when Mr Lawler joined him around a minute later he seemed "calm" and there was "nothing out of the ordinary".

He told the court he did not remember Mr Lawler trying to use his radio but was later read his earlier statement in which he had stated Mr Lawler was '"fiddling with the press to talk button on his radio" when he came out of the foyer.

The inquiry also heard from Daniel Perry and Jordan Beak, who were also Showsec stewards that night.

A document titled Pre-Egress Check Sheet was shown, saying one job was to check the "entire City Room" before the crowd emerged.

Mr Perry and Mr Beak both independently told the inquiry the practice was not to check the mezzanine area of the foyer.

They also confirmed they did not know there was a CCTV blind spot on the mezzanine where Abedi was hiding.

Mr Perry said staff were told always to report it if someone is seen "lingering around in an area".

The public inquiry continues.

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