Homeless heroes of Manchester recall bravery in aftermath of attack

A homeless man has recalled the harrowing moment he pulled nails from the faces of dying children in the immediate aftermath of the Manchester terror attack.

Stephen Jones, 35, was sleeping on a street near Manchester Arena on Tuesday night when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device, killing 22 people and injuring over 100 more.

Stephen Jones was sleeping outside Manchester Arena (Picture: ITV)
Stephen Jones was sleeping outside Manchester Arena (Picture: ITV)

A crowdfunding page to get Mr Jones back on his feet has now raised more than £25,000 after he was praised for his brave acts following an ITV interview.

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He said: ‘We were having to pull nails and bits of glass out of their arms and faces. We haven’t slept most of the night because of what we’ve seen.

‘I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I’d just walked away. Just because I’m homeless, it doesn’t mean I haven’t got a heart.

Chris Parker held a young girl whose legs had been ripped off in the blast (Picture: GoFundMe)
Chris Parker held a young girl whose legs had been ripped off in the blast (Picture: GoFundMe)

‘There’s a lot of good people in Manchester who help us out and we need to give back too. I’d like to think someone would come and help me if I needed the help.’

Another homeless man, Chris Parker, recalled the moment that he held a young girl who lost both her legs in the blast.

He said: ‘I saw a little girl.. she had no legs. I wrapped her in one of the merchandise T-shirts and I said “where is your mum and daddy?” She said ‘my dad is at work, my mum is up there’.

You can donate to his fundraising page here.