PM and Corbyn offer tributes to victims of Manchester atrocity

Theresa May, Andy Burnham and Jeremy Corbyn today led tributes to the 22 people killed in the Manchester terror attack.

The prime minister and the Labour leader spoke earlier this morning and agreed to suspend campaigning in the general election.

May said the explosion, after a pop concert at Manchester Arena, was being treated as an “appalling terrorist attack”.

The blast happened at around 10.30pm following the end of a show by Ariana Grande. Twenty-two people were killed and 59 injured.

Today Corbyn described the attack as “horrendous”.

“My thoughts are with families and friends of those who have died and been injured. Today the whole country will grieve for the people who have lost their lives,” he said.

“I have spoken with Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, who has fully briefed me on the operational response in the city.”

Burnham who was elected as the city region’s first mayor earlier this month, said Manchester had suffered the “darkest of nights”.

“It is hard to believe what has happened here in the last few hours and to put into words the shock, anger and hurt that we feel today,” he told journalists in a special press conference at 7am.

“These were children, young people and their families that those responsible chose to terrorise and kill. This was an evil act.

“Our first thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured and we will do whatever we can to support them. We are grieving today but we are strong.”

May was due to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee this morning.

She said in a statement published at 2.20am: “We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack.

“All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected.”