Conspiracy theorist who harassed Manchester Arena bombing victims and claims the attack was staged loses court appeal

A conspiracy theorist who claims the Manchester Arena bombing was staged by government agencies has lost a court appeal.

Richard Hall is being sued by bombing survivors Martin and Eve Hibbert are bringing claims against Richard Hall for harassment, misuse of private information and data protection. 

The father and daughter duo were at the Ariana Grande concert in May 2017 when a terrorist blew himself up, killing 22 innocents and injuring hundreds of others.

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Mr Hibbert, from in Chorley, Lancashire, 'shielded' his daughter from the blast so he 'took the brunt of it'. He now has a spinal cord injury and is permanently in a wheelchair. His daughter, who also uses a wheelchair, is severely brain damaged and will need support for the rest of her life.

However, Mr Hall has claimed that the attack, in which Salman Abedi detonated a homemade rucksack bomb in the crowd of concert-goers, was faked.

The author has been accused of visiting the homes and workplaces of those injured in the attack – including Miss Hibbert’s home – and recording footage of them.

In a ruling last month, Mr Hibbert and his daughter were successful in a bid for summary judgment – a legal step to decide parts of the case without a trial – on several parts of the case’s background.

This included rulings on whether 22 people did die during the attack, and whether the Hibberts’ injuries were caused by the bombing.

Judge Richard Davison said: “Suffice it to say that, although his beliefs may be genuinely held, his theory that the Manchester bombing was an operation staged by government agencies in which no