Manchester attack: How a brave Darlaston man battled to help a young terror victim
A brave Black Country man who helped comfort a young victim of the Manchester terror attack has been hailed as a ‘true hero’.
Paul Reid was in the foyer of the arena when bomber Salman Abedi detonated a device following a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande.
The Walsall man comforted an injured concert-goer amid the carnage and managed to help the wounded girl into an ambulance.
However he says he later discovered she had died of her injuries.
Mr Reid, from Darlaston, said: “She never cried one tear. I spoke to her, talked to her, comforted her and she was asking for her mum and what had happened.
“I told her she would be all right and we needed to get her to hospital. Then we put her in an ambulance. I just can’t believe it.”
On social media people lined up to praise Mr Reid’s actions, with Sarah-Jane Smith calling him ‘a true hero’. Donna Parsons said: “Paul you’re a hero and gave that little girl comfort.”
More details emerged yesterday of terrorist Abedi’s movements in the run-up to the attack.
The killer is believed to have travelled to Syria and had ‘proven’ links with ISIS, France’s interior minister has said. Gerard Collomb told French television both British and French intelligence services had information that Abedi had been in Syria.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed the UK security services had been aware of the British-born 22-year-old.
Ms Rudd said Abedi had recently returned from a visit to Libya – where his parents live – and the nature of the attack suggested he may have had support.
“It was more sophisticated than some of the horrific events that we have seen in the past or in other parts of Europe so people are reasonably wondering whether he did this on his own,” she said.
Ms Rudd said the deployment of troops – possible after the terror threat level was raised to critical – would enable police to step up security at high-profile events in the coming days, including the Great Manchester Run.
