Manchester attack: CCTV shows bomber before arena blast

CCTV images showing suicide bomber Salman Abedi on the night he attacked Manchester Arena killing 22 people, have been been released by police.Fourteen locations are being searched and 13 people have been arrested on suspicion of terror offences.Abedi's identity was known within two hours of Monday's attack, police said.

The UK terrorism threat level has been reduced from critical to severe and soldiers deployed to support the police will be stood down on Monday night.Prime Minister Theresa May made the announcement after leading a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra on Saturday morning.

Armed police continue to guard hundreds of events across the UK over the bank holiday weekend.
There was increased security at Wembley for the FA Cup Final, Hampden Park for the Scottish Cup Final and Twickenham for the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final.Mrs May said significant activity by the police during the last 24 hours had led to the threat being reduced.

It is unclear where the newly released images of Abedi were taken and from what time on Monday evening.Greater Manchester Police have made an appeal to the public for information about the bomber's movements since 18 May, when he returned to the UK.

Police said the investigation - which is "making good progress" - has around 1,000 people working on it and hundreds more officers involved in the security across Greater Manchester.Abedi's city centre flat was one of the last places he went - and where he may have made the final touches to his explosive device - before going to the arena, police have said.

Seven children were among those who died when the Manchester-born 22-year-old detonated the bomb on Monday night, at the end of a concert by US singer Ariana Grande.A total of 17 warrants have been carried out mainly across Greater Manchester in the last five days.

On Saturday, officers used an explosive device to gain entry to a property in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, where two men were arrested.A joint statement from Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Neil Basu, senior national co-ordinator from UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said: "This is still a live investigation which is not slowing down.

"Our priorities are to understand the run up to this terrible event and to understand if more people were involved in planning this attack."Anyone with information is asked to call the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789321. You can email images or footage that might be of assistance to ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk.