Man arrested in connection with 1996 Manchester City Centre bombing

A man has been arrested in connection with the 1996 bombing in Manchester City Centre.

Devastating damage was caused after the explosion of a 1,500 kg bomb detonated on the city’s Corporation Street by the IRA on June 15.

It was the biggest bomb detonated in Great Britain since the Second World War.

Although there were no fatalities, 200 people were injured in the explosion, with around 75,000 people evacuated.

The damage caused to Manchester City Centre was estimated by insurers at £700m – equivalent to over a billion pounds today.

Police arrested a man on Thursday evening at Birmingham Airport on suspicion of terrorism offences.

He remains in custody and will be interviewed by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing for the North West (CTPNW).

The arrest is in connection with enquiries into the IRA bomb detonation in 1996, police have confirmed.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Meeks, head of investigations for CTPNW said

“Although thankfully no-one was killed during the 1996 Manchester bombing by the IRA, hundreds of people were left with injuries – many of which were life changing – and many more across Greater Manchester and the North West were affected by what happened on that day.

“We have always bene committed to holding those responsible for the attack to account and bringing them to justice and have bene reinvestigating for several years with a team of dedicated detectives re-examining the original case files and pursuing new lines of inquiry.

“Following the arrest, we have contacted individuals who were victims of this horrific attack to ensure that they’re updated, as we know for many people this will bring back memories of that terrible day and we are doing all we can to support our communities and those who were affected.”

He continued: “Given the passage of time, and the number of people who were affected or injured by this atrocity, we sadly don’t have the contact details for everyone so would encourage anyone who was affected that we haven’t been able to reach to access the Major Incident Portal using this link https://mipp.police.uk/operation/06GMP20S33-PO1 .”

Police have said that anyone who leaves their details will be contacted by a member of the investigation team as soon as possible.

DS Meeks added: “We remain determined to hold those responsible for this attack to account regardless of the time passed and would still encourage anyone who has any information that could assist our enquiries to get in touch with the Major Incident Portal.”