'You were the best mum in the universe,' says daughter of woman killed picking her up from Manchester concert

The daughter of a woman killed while she waited to pick her up from the concert attacked by an Islamist terrorist has described her as “the best mum in the universe and the bestest friend that I could ask for”. 

Lisa Lees and her friend Alison Howe had gone to collect their 15-year-old daughters India and Darcie from the Ariana Grande concert and were in the foyer of the Manchester Arena when Salman Abedi set off his devastating home-made bomb last Monday night, killing both women.

Now India has paid a poignant tribute to her mother, a tutor at a college in her home town of Oldham.

“You always cheered me up when I was upset and have always been there for me. You have the most beautiful smile and most caring eyes,” said India. “You are loved by everyone. I will forever miss our girly days out and talking to you about everything."

The teenager added: “You taught me to ‘believe’ in myself and to do my best. I will make you proud mum, I promise. I love you soooo much, more than anything and always will.”

Paying his own tribute Mrs Lees’ husband Anthony said: “Lisa you are my beautiful, gorgeous wife. You are my life, my soulmate, my best friend. I love you so much and always will. Life will never be the same again. My heart has been ripped apart.”

Mrs Lees graduated last year from university and before that had won an award for her work with children with complex mental health issues. Her mother, Elson Hunter, said: "You achieved such a lot in your life. You were an inspiration to all and should have had a great life ahead of you."

Their words were echoed in the overwhelming grief felt by dozens of families who lost loved ones at Abedi’s hands.

Loved ones such as Kelly Brewster, who had just put down a deposit on a new house, had been trying for a baby and was the happiest people had known her when she was killed.

Her partner, Ian Winslow told of his agony at losing the woman he thought he was going to spend his life with.

"I just want to kiss her again", he said. "I just want to hold Kelly and kiss her again. I miss her so much. We had all of these amazing plans together, and now all that has gone."

Miss Brewster, a 32-year-old insurance assessor, is thought to have died shielding her niece, Holly Booth, from the blast.

She had taken Holly, 12, to the concert with her sister Claire and they were leaving when Adebi struck. Holly survived with two broken legs and Claire is recovering with a broken jaw.

Mr Winslow, 36, said his daughter from a previous relationship, Phoebe, who is just seven, kissed their TV screen when she saw Miss Brewster’s face appear during a new report.

Earlier on the day of the concert he had put a deposit down on a house and texted Miss Brewster pictures of the property.

He said: "She told me it looked like her dream house. She really was the happiest she has ever been."

At about 8pm, she texted him back and said 'love you'.

When he heard about the attack later that evening he rushed from their home in Sheffield, along with Kelly's parents and other relatives, to Manchester to try and search for Miss Brewster, Claire and Holly.

At the Etihad Stadium - which had been set up as a information centre for missing persons - they were told there were two adults and two children who had survived but had not yet been identified.

“We were desperately hoping that one of the adults would be Kelly,” said Mr Winslow. "But this went down to one adult and then they said it wasn't Kelly - we were then told that she had passed away. Everyone is absolutely devastated."

Mr Winslow urged the authorities to take a tougher line on terror suspects.

"These people are monsters to target innocent children and adults at a concert,” he said. “The person who did it was known to the authorities and they should take more robust action."

The reverberations from the blast set off by Adebi were also felt 400 miles away on the Scottish Isle of Barra, home to 14-year-old Eilidh MacLeod, who travelled to Manchester for a birthday treat.

She was killed and her school friend Laura McIntyre, 15, is critically ill in hospital having staggered from the scene “badly burned, blinded and with a broken leg”.

Fr John Paul MacKinnon, Barra’s parish priest, said: “People are in a daze. We are just a small island and the world has somehow come to our little island and it is suddenly at the centre of the world now.”

Laura’s parents described her as a “funny and witty young girl who excels at everything she does”.

They added: ”Our hearts and minds have been with Eilidh's family since we heard their news.”

Stuart Murray, the stepfather of another victim, 29-year-old Martyn Hett, also paid tribute to a life taken far too soon.

"I've only just realised how many people thought so highly of him, how many lives he touched,” he said. “To have achieved all that in a short space of time. All that love you leave behind is just priceless."

Grande - whose fans had been so excited to see her perform on Monday night - has said her "heart, prayers and deepest condolences" are with the victims of the bombing, adding that she will return to the city for a benefit concert.