Final warnings for cops who had 2hr kebab break on night of Arena atrocity

TWO British Transport Police (BTP) officers who went on a two-hour dinner break on the night of the Manchester Arena attack have been handed final written warnings.

- JOHN SCHEERHOUT

Pcs Jessica Bullough and Mark Renshaw had a break of more than two hours on the night after going on a 10-mile round trip to buy kebabs from Longsight, at a time when suicide bomber Salman Abedi was stalking the arena complex.

Five BTP officers were ordered to police the concert that night and their sergeant stipulated at least one of them was to be stationed in the foyer where the blast happened from 10pm, some 30 minutes before the end of a pop concert.

But no BTP officer was in the City Room where the blast happened for 31 minutes until the moment Salman Abedi detonated a huge device in his backpack in May 2017, killing 22 and injuring hundreds more as mainly young concert-goers were leaving the Monday night Ariana Grande gig.

Yesterday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed two un-named officers, believed to be Pcs Bullough and Renshaw, had been given final written warnings.