The brother of one of those who died in the Manchester Arena terror attack has dismissed an MI5 apology for failing to prevent the 2017 bombing.
Lee Hunter, the brother of beauty therapist Lisa Lees, 43, who died in the attack, said the apology was 'dragged out of them' six years after the atrocity.
Today (Monday) Lee spoke to the M.E.N. a week after a damning report of independent inquiry into the atrocity, and said families remain 'angry and upset' that the inquiry has revealed only limited detail about the 'significant missed opportunity' to stop suicide bomber Salman Abedi. Lee said there had been 'no real justice'.
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Last week MI5 apologised for not preventing the bombing after a report found opportunities were missed to sop the bombing, which claimed the lives of 22 people and left a thousand others injured.
It followed the third and final report of the independent inquiry into the bombing which revealed limited extra detail of what the security services knew about suicide bomber Salman Abedi in the months and years before the attack. Much of the evidence provided by the security services to the inquiry was held in secret because of fears over national security.
Abedi, who first came to the attention of MI5 in 2010 when he was 15, had been downgraded from his status as a 'subject of interest' in 2014 but two weeks before the arena attack MI5 received intelligence that he had 're-engaged in Islamist extremist activity'. A meeting to assess this information was scheduled to take place but the date set was nine days after the attack.
The inquiry report also found one of two key pieces of intelligence about Abedi - neither was passed on to counter terror police by MI5 - 'gave rise to the real possibility of obtaining information that might have led to actions which prevented the attack'.
Had investigations taken place, Abedi could have been stopped at Manchester Airport on his return to the UK from Libya just days before the bombing, and been followed to the parked car where deadly TATP explosive was being stored in Rusholme. Sir John said there was a 'real possibility' Abedi had with him a switch for the bomb when he landed in Manchester.
Following the report, MI5 director general Ken McCallum said the service was sorry it had not stopped the attack. He said the service had made 'more than 100 improvements'.
Lee, 43, from Shaw, told the M.E.N: "It's been a long process but we feel we are vindicated. All along we had a feeling this could have been prevented.
"We understand the need for secrecy in certain aspects and we understand it's to protect people working in the field, but when it's directly regarding your own family member and told you are not allowed to know, you cannot live with that. It's not enough.
"We've had to go through a five year process to finally get what the could have delivered to us in the first place. Why did we have to have this to find out he possibly had the switch on him when he came back into the country?
"Some of us are unhappy with Sir John's report but for me he's done as much as he can with the restrictions he was under, and what he delivered was strong for that sort of thing. We could have expected it go a different way.
"I personally think they need to have some kind of hub where all this information comes together. There's been a lack of communication. Why did they let him through when you look at the whole picture of Abedi and what people had on him and knew about him? He could not have bought that switch here. We were right to have reservations (about the security services) at the beginning about what they have done.
"There's no real justice for us to come out of this, for the 22 families, but we can ensure nothing like this ever happens to anybody else. The security services said they have done something (to change) but just tell us what so we can sleep at night. We know there have definitely been major failings but to be told you will never know exactly what happened, it's natural to feel so angry and upset about that.
"I've tried to maintain a level of decorum and I understand their position. At the same time MI5 have only reluctantly co-operated haven't they? It's not enough. We have to go through five years of this, the inquiry and the Kerslake report, and we got something at the end of it but it's not enough. I'm sure people are being genuine and I'm sure they have tried but there's still quite a lot we don't understand. How was Abedi removed from watch lists? How were they allowed to be in touch with known radicalisers in prison? How can you be allowed back into the country like that without being searched?
"This is definitely not the end for us. We are pushing and we want more. I don't know how much solace and justice we are going to find but, hopefully, by the end we will get something for other people so they don't have to go through this.
"Abedi should have been more on their radar. It all could have been prevented. They have admitted that. Well, great, but tell us exactly how and how something like this can't be repeated in the future. That's what we want now. Not an apology tucked away on their website that had to be dragged out of them."
Lee wants 'mandatory' action against the security services, rather than recommendations, and for the security services to demonstrate they have changed for the better. He urged the creation of a 'hub' where MI5 and counter terrorism policing can share information.
MI5 Director General Mr McCallum said in the statement last week: "The terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena was a terrible tragedy. The bomber killed 22 innocent people and harmed many others. My thoughts are with the families and friends of those killed, and with all those whose lives were changed by this appalling act of terrorism.
"Having examined all the evidence, the Chair of the Inquiry has found that 'there was a realistic possibility that actionable intelligence could have been obtained which might have led to actions preventing the attack'.
"I deeply regret that such intelligence was not obtained. Gathering covert intelligence is difficult – but had we managed to seize the slim chance we had, those impacted might not have experienced such appalling loss and trauma. I am profoundly sorry that MI5 did not prevent the attack.
"The people of MI5 and our policing partners come to work every day to stop terrorism. We continually work to improve the counter-terrorism system; since the terrible events of 2017 we have made more than 100 improvements. But we are determined to do more. As the Chair now considers his recommendations, we will engage fully. Where there are opportunities to strengthen the UK’s defences further, MI5 will act.
"We will continue to do everything in our power to keep our country safe from hidden threats.
"MI5 exists to stop atrocities. To all those whose lives were forever changed on that awful night: I am so sorry that MI5 did not prevent the attack at the Manchester Arena."
The head of counter terrorism policing Matt Jukes also said he was sorry. He said: "I am speaking today alongside the Director General of MI5. Today’s report describes the partnership between MI5 and Counter Terrorism Policing.
"This relationship is long-standing. It has seen us work side by side to overcome significant threats to the safety and security of the United Kingdom.
"I am sorry that, despite our determined partnership, we did not stop the loss of life, nor the injury and trauma that happened close to here, almost six years ago. Since 2017, we have worked to strengthen our partnership even further. Much of that work goes on in secret but there have been important steps forward. New facilities like the world-leading Counter Terrorism Operations Centre demonstrate the progress we have made.
"Witnesses at the Inquiry described improvements in how we share information. We now have better systems and technology to make that happen, but we must maintain that progress.
"This evolution in the way we work is vital because the threat we face is changing, as we have seen in the attacks that have taken place since 2017 and in the dozens of plots that have been disrupted in their late stages since then."
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