After the Manchester Arena last night, a man has been arrested outside the Arndale Centre in central Manchester as the area is evacuated.
Authorities have swarmed the city centre today, in the harrowing aftermath of an attack that has killed 22 and injured 120 concert-goers, and armed police are on the scene at the Manchester shopping centre.
At 10:35pm last night, a lone terrorist detonated a suicide bomb as Ariana Grande fans, many of whom are just children, exited the arena. The first victim of last night’s attack has been named as 16-year-old Georgina Callandar.
Witnesses described the harrowing scenes, saying civilians covered in blood fled the arena in tears, with many children stranded and separated from their parents. Since, Greater Manchester Police and emergency services have been working tirelessly to keep people safe.
The latest witness reports this morning state that armed police are clearing the area of civilians outside the Arndale following the arrest of a man.
One witness tweet suggests a parcel has been found in the Arndale food court and another stated sniffer dogs had been deployed on the scene.
The evacuation of civilians is currently ongoing. It is unclear whether the arrest is connected with last night’s attack.
More follows.
Update: At 11:50am Market Street was reopened and it was announced the Arndale Centre would follow shortly, reopening for business.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.