Manchester attack: UK annoyed at leak of bomber’s name, arrests three for blast

Home secretary Amber Rudd said London wanted to control the flow of information to “keep the element of surprise”, and had been clear with Washington that such leaks “ should not happen again”.

Britain’s security forces believe the suicide bomber behind Monday’s terror attack at the Manchester Arena may not have acted alone, arresting three people as part of their investigations on Wednesday.

Police officers at a residential property in Fallowfield, Manchester. (AFP)

The Greater Manchester police said the three were arrested after warrants were executed in south Manchester. In London, public tours of the parliament complex and the changing of guard ceremony in Buckingham Palace have been cancelled.

Home secretary Amber Rudd expressed London’s irritation over some US officials leaking the identity of Salman Abedi, the suspect, hours before the name was released by the police on Tuesday evening. She said on Wednesday interviews on radio and television that London wanted to control the flow of information to “keep the element of surprise”, and had been very clear with Washington “that it should not happen again”.

Asked whether she would be looking at how information sharing with the United States may have resulted in the premature release of details that the British police and security services had not wanted in the public domain, Rudd said: “Yes, quite frankly.”

Pressed on whether the Americans had compromised the investigation, she said: “I wouldn’t go that far, but I can say they are perfectly clear about the situation and that it shouldn’t happen again.”

After a series of vigils in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and elsewhere on Tuesday, vigils were also being organised on Wednesday in Sheffield and other towns, as the United Kingdom comes to terms with what appears to be the first case of suicide bombing in the country.

So far, names of 10 of the 22 victims have been released. The victims include a Polish couple who were at the venue to collect their daughter attending the sell-out concert by US pop singer Ariana Grande.