Manchester terror inquiry hears security guard waited eight minutes before reporting bomber

Witness raised concerns with guard before Salman Abedi exploded a bomb, killing 22

Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi. AFP

A security guard on duty before the 2017 terrorist attack at Manchester Arena told an inquiry that he waited eight minutes before reporting concerns about the attacker.

Mohammed Agha told the inquiry he was guarding a fire exit when Christopher Wild, whose 14-year-old daughter was at the Ariana Grande concert, raised concerns about a man with a large rucksack 15 minutes before the attack.

Mr Agha told the hearing he had seen bomber Salman Abedi twice before he exploded the device, killing 22 people and injuring many on May 22, 2017.

On Monday, he said he was unable to leave his post and had waited until a colleague came past to mention it.

He denied "fobbing off" Mr Wild and said nothing about Abedi's demeanour aroused suspicion.

Mr Agha said the bomber came to his attention because he liked the brand of trainers Abedi was wearing.

“He didn’t raise any suspicion," he told the inquiry. "It’s not unusual to see people with rucksacks. People do it all the time."

But he said in hindsight he did not “fit the demographic” for the concert.

Mr Agha said he saw Abedi on a phone and smiling before he detonated the bomb.

Abedi's younger brother Hashem was jailed for life in August.

At the time of the attack, Hashem was in Libya, where their parents were born, but helped Salman to prepare the bomb.

Hashem is believed to have been one of the last people to speak to his sibling before the explosion.

Their bomber's family has declined to help the inquiry, which started in August in Manchester.

It is expected to last into 2021 and has already heard of the brothers’ links with convicted terrorists in the UK.