Parents of Saffie Roussos speak out ahead of today's public inquiry into Manchester Arena bombing

Eight-year-old Saffie was the youngest person killed by Salman Abedi in the Manchester Arena terror attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.

Saffie’s parents Andrew and Lisa Roussos have now revealed their concerns about transparency at the public inquiry into the bombings which begins today (Monday, September 7).

The public inquiry, which will investigate events before, during and after the attack, will take place in a specially converted room in Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court this morning.

It was due to start in June, but was delayed by the trial of Abedi's brother Hashem, who was jailed for at least 55 years for 22 murders on August 20.

Public inquiries cannot determine criminal or civil liability, but do have the capacity to highlight where failings have occurred.

Due to national security reasons, some parts of the inquiry will take place in private and will not be reported. This will include evidence from an anonymous senior MI5 intelligence officer who is expected to give evidence to the inquiry.

The closed sessions have raised concerns from Saffie's parents, who are demanding "transparency and honesty" from investigators about the circumstances leading up to the bombing, as well as its immediate aftermath.

Among the questions being investigated at the inquiry is how Abedi was able to carry out the atrocity despite being known to British security services.

This part of the inquiry will take place during closed sessions, with security services explaining what was known about Salman Abedi and what steps were taken in relation to him prior to the attack.

The inquiry will also hear how each of the individual victims died and hear personal evidence about them from their families.

Mr Roussos told the BBC: “All I hear is lessons learned, but lessons haven’t been learned, and lessons will never be learned, unless we get that transparency and honesty from the people involved to get the answers that we need.”

Mr Roussos suggested that a barrister from each of the six firms representing the bereaved families be allowed to remain in the hearing.

Mrs Roussos added: "Obviously you’re having to put your full trust in the (inquiry) chairman.

"But this inquiry is not about trust, it should be about transparency, and I feel that we won’t get that without having a representative in the room."

Mrs Roussos was in the arena with her daughter during the attack and was temporarily paralysed due to her injuries.

She told the broadcaster: "The worst thing for me was, is, if Saffie could have been saved.

"To think that, not just Saffie, the other people. How could they leave injured people in the arena for hours? It’s just madness.

"I remember lying there thinking help will be here soon, and in the end it felt like I was lying there for hours."