If the concert had started on time, Ellie Clayton from Baildon believes she would have been in the foyer on her way to the station when the blast went off.

The 18-year-old, from Baildon, who was at last night's Ariana Grande gig with her best friend and younger cousin, was right at the front of the Manchester Arena when she heard a bang that sounded like a loud gunshot.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Ariana Grande during the concert. Picture taken by Ellie Clayton

They had been waiting 18 months for the American singing star to tour the UK and had saved up for the special front-seat tickets they bought back in October.

"People just froze and were looking at each other, saying 'what's going on?' It sounded like a gunshot but it was too loud. Then we saw people who'd been going down the stairs into the station, running back up into the arena and trying to get out of any other exit they could.

"We got to a fire exit near the backstage door but security wouldn't let us out. We were there for about two minutes but it seemed to take forever until they opened the doors. We lost my friend in the panic and I was trying to ring her, then we found her in a crowd of people.

"People were still confused, there were lots of balloons in the arena and people were saying it was a gas cannister that had gone off. If people had known at that time what had really happened, it would have been a lot more traumatic. There were lots of little girls crying and clinging on to their parents or to anyone they could.

"We got out and walked round the side of the building. We were trying to get to the train station to get home. There were blue lights everywhere, people were screaming and crying.

"We saw a little girl sat on some steps, her neck and chin was covered in blood and then we saw people laid on the floor with others crowding round them. People were carrying people out. It was just chaos."

Ellie and her friends managed to get the last train out of Manchester to Leeds from the city's Piccadilly station.

"When we got back to Leeds there were armed officers. We had to give our names and numbers and tell them a bit about what we saw. It was good to be home. We are so very lucky to still be here.

"If the concert had started on time, we could have been right in the middle of the blast when it went off.

"I'm trying not to watch the news, it make me cry. My heart hurts for the people who weren't so lucky and didn't make it home."

She added: "Ariana did one of her best known songs, One Last Time, and for some people it was their last time they would hear it. So many people there were celebrating their birthdays and some will never do that again. It’s just heartbreaking.”

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