Paramedic 'wrong not to send team to bomb scene'

Simon Beswick, a senior paramedic from the North West Ambulance Service, has told the inquiry into the Manchester Arena attack that he was wrong not to send three colleagues straight to the scene of the May 2017 bombing.

Beswick arrived at the arena 40 minutes after the blast, which killed 22 people and injured hundreds more. The inquiry has heard how only three paramedics treated casualties in the City Room, where the bomb exploded. However, it has also been revealed that three additional paramedics were held back to treat patients on the Victoria Station concourse outside the arena.

Beswick told the public inquiry into the attack that two of his NWAS colleagues had gone into the City Room foyer while he and three other colleagues, who arrived later, remained outside to assist with casualties there. He said that 'on reflection and with the benefit of hindsight, yes I believe I was incorrect in my decision making there and we could have moved forward'.

He went on to say that he feels he has been 'robust in my decision making not to overcommit members of the team and to allocate [them] to treat critically-ill patients at that point'.

Beswick, who was acting up as team leader of NWAS's Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), said making the decision had caused him a 'great deal of disquiet and concern'. He said he had been informed the scene had not been declared safe at that stage and there was a concern over secondary devices or another terrorist attack.

He accepted that a paramedic with his skills "could have been more effective moving forward" to help other patients.

The inquiry continues.