Girl, 14, named among victims of Manchester terror attack

Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, from Adel, was among 22 people killed when suspected suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a home-made device at the end of a concert by US singer Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena.

Sorrell is reported to have been a pupil at Allerton High School in the city, though neither the school nor Leeds City Council would confirm this.

Greg Mulholland, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Leeds North West, paid tribute to the youngster, saying: "It is heartbreaking that amongst the victims is a 14-year-old girl from Adel. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family."

This evening, Wendy Fawell, a mother from Otley, is among those still unaccounted for.

Ms Fawell is reported to have gone to the concert with her daughter and friends, and was last seen in the arena's foyer shortly before the blast.

As the Telegraph & Argus reported yesterday, more than 100 people attended a vigil for her, where Rosemary Thompson, Ms Fawell's godmother said she was "sick with worry", saying: "I keep looking out and listening for news and hoping for the best. All we can do is hope and wait."

Cllr Andrew Senior (Con, Queensbury) rushed to Manchester when he found out about the attack at the concert attended by his wife Natalie and daughters, Eve, 14, and Emelia, 11. 
Today, he said his wife and older daughter were still in hospital and were due to each have a “small operation” tomorrow.
“They are both doing really well. They only received minor injuries from shrapnel wounds and they are in good hands.
“I’ve not been home yet and have been travelling between the Royal Bolton Hospital where my wife Natalie is and Manchester Royal Infirmary where Eve is.
“We are hoping that Natalie will be out by the weekend and Eve just after the weekend.”
Cllr Senior’s younger daughter had been treated for minor burns but had not been kept in hospital.
“She was treated straight away but not kept in hospital. She’s fine and just suffering from a bit of temporary hearing loss,” he said.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that a number of the other victims also came from Yorkshire.

Kelly Brewster, from Sheffield, was reported by friends and family to be among those killed in the attack.

Her partner, Ian Winslow, later wrote on Facebook: "Not sure how this works but it isn't good news. Kelly Brewster wasn't one of the unidentified hospital patients. She has sadly passed away in the terror attack.

"Kelly really was the happiest she has ever been and we had so many things planned together. My daughter Phoebe will be absolutely devastated like we all are."

York couple Marcin and Angelika Klis, who had gone to Manchester Arena to collect their daughters, have been confirmed as being among the victims.

The couple, who were originally from Poland but had lived in York for many years, are believed to have been killed as they waited to pick their two daughters up after the concert and had posed for a selfie as they made their way back to the Manchester Arena.

As taxi driver Marcin, 42, and Angelika, 39, waited at their pre-arranged meeting place in the foyer they were caught in the bomb blast.

Their older daughter Alex, a student at York College, had appealed on social media as she searched for her parents.

York College yesterday issued a statement saying everyone at the college is 'shocked and deeply saddened' to learn of the news.

A family friend interviewed by a news agency at the Klis family home in York described them as being extremely close.

In other developments today, police confirmed they are investigating a "network" in connection with the bombing as it emerged an off-duty female officer was killed in the atrocity.

As a huge inquiry into the attack continued, the father of perpetrator Salman Abedi claimed his son was innocent, saying: "We don't believe in killing innocents. This is not us."

Detectives made a further three arrests in connection with the investigation, taking the number of people in custody to four.

Twenty-two people were killed and dozens more seriously injured when Abedi, 22, detonated a device as fans left Manchester Arena, where US star Ariana Grande was performing on Monday night.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said the level of activity in the probe is "intense" and continuing "at pace".

Asked if officers are looking for the person who made the bomb, he said: "I think it's very clear that this is a network that we are investigating and as I've said, it continues at pace, this extensive investigation is going on and activity taking place across Greater Manchester as we speak."

Mr Hopkins confirmed that one of the victims of the attack was a serving police officer but provided no further details.

The BBC reported that the policewoman's husband is critically ill and her two children were injured.

Sources said the family are from Cheshire.

The deployment of military personnel to the UK's streets following the Manchester attack highlights the fact the police "do not have the resources to manage an event like this on our own", the chairman of the Police Federation has warned.

Steve White said that although the move to place soldiers at key sites was "welcome", it was also important that the Government ensures there is a "resilient, fully-resourced police service" to protect the public.

"As always, the response of emergency workers in the face of adversity has been second to none," he said.

"The welcome support of the military to free up armed officers and offer public reassurance will no doubt be managed in the same professional, resolute way.

"But, as welcome as this is, we cannot avoid the reasons it is needed at all.

"There is no ignoring the fact that we, the police, simply do not have the resources to manage an event like this on our own."