Manchester Arena bombing survivors start legal action against MI5

Survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing have instigated legal action against MI5, it has been confirmed. Lawyers representing more than 250 people caught up in the atrocity at the Ariana Grande concert on May 22, 2017 say they have submitted a claim.

In a joint statement, Hudgell Solicitors, Slater & Gordon and Broudie Jackson Canter, the three lead firms representing the group said: "Legal teams representing injured survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 can confirm that they have collectively submitted a group claim on behalf of more than 250 clients to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

"As it is an ongoing legal matter, we are unable or provide any further details, or comment further, at this stage."

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The Investigatory Powers Tribunal is an independent judicial body which provides right of redress to anyone who believes they have been the victim of unlawful action by a public authority using covert investigative techniques.

M15 said as there were ongoing legal proceedings, they were unable to comment.

In March last year, the agency's Director general Ken McCallum expressed “deep regret” that intelligence was not gathered which may have stopped suicide bomber Salman Abedi in his tracks, as he said he was “profoundly sorry” that MI5 was unable to prevent the 2017 attack which killed 22 people and left hundreds more injured.

The public inquiry found the bombing might have been prevented if MI5 had acted on intelligence received in the months before the attack when two pieces of information about Abedi were assessed at the time by the security service to not relate to terrorism.

But inquiry