Manchester attack: Mother of victim Saffie, 8, told of daughter's death

The mum of Manchester bombing victim Saffie Roussos (pictured) has been taken off her life support machine and is aware of her daughters death. Picture: Handout

Eight-year-old Saffie Roussos, from Leyland, Lancashire, was one of the 22 people killed in the terror attack at the Manchester Arena on Monday last week.

She was at the Ariana Grande concert with her mother, Lisa, and older sister, Ashlee Bromwich, who is in her 20s, who were both taken to hospital.

Mrs Roussos was reportedly in a critical condition initially and on a life support machine.

Saffie Rose Roussos, 8. Picture: Handout

In a post on Facebook group Leyland Memories, family friend Mike Swanny said Mrs Roussos was now awake, out of surgery and “aware of the situation”.

He praised the bravery of Mrs Roussos and Saffie’s father, Andrew.

He said: “I am very proud of the strength that Lisa and Andrew have as a couple their bravery though (sic) this is commendable.”

He added: “Now they can start to deal and rebuild their lives, I hope this news will make everyone smile as this is the best news we’ve had through this tragedy.”

Mr Swanny told the Lancashire Evening Post: “Lisa’s pulling through. She was in a critical condition at first, but she came off life support on Saturday and was up and talking on Sunday. She’s aware of the situation with Saffie.

“She’s still in hospital, but she’s moving her legs, which is fantastic.”

He told the newspaper Miss Bromwich was also recovering and is expected to be discharged from hospital this week.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that 10 men, aged between 18 and 44, remained in custody on suspicion of offences contrary to the Terrorism Act.

Six people - including a 15-year-old boy, a 34-year-old woman and four men - have been released without charge after being arrested by officers investigating the attack.

Earlier this week, police released further details about terrorist Salman Abedi, 22, including that he had bought most of the key component parts of the suicide bomb in the few days before the attack.

Many of his movements and actions in the four days after his return to the UK from Libya leading up to the May 22 atrocity were also carried out alone but detectives have not ruled out that he was part of “a wider network”.

It came as Abedi’s cousins, who were arrested and then released in the wake of the attack, said they “could not believe” how he could be responsible for the atrocity.

Speaking to ITV News, Abz and Isaac Forjani, both 24, said they had no idea what Abedi was plotting.

Abz said: “He didn’t have a special character, he was just a bubbly person that always acted normal.

“He never came and spoke to me about something serious. If he had, maybe I could have done something about it.”

Isaac said: “I couldn’t stop crying, especially the first few days when I was getting questioned.

“And every time that story was brought up, little girls, innocent lives.

“You just couldn’t just stop yourself from crying, that’s all you can do.

“Their lives, 22 lives, have gone.”

The brothers said they couldn’t understand how their younger cousin, who had grown up, like them, in a westernised environment could become a radicalised terrorist.

Isaac said: “I just don’t understand it.

“I don’t understand where that ideology comes from, I don’t understand what made him do what he did. I still don’t understand it.”