Laura MacIntyre 'staggered' out of Manchester Arena blast

A teenager from the remote Isle of Barra who survived the Manchester Arena attack in which her school friend died is said to have staggered from the scene “badly burned, blinded and with a broken leg”.

Laura MacIntyre, 15, and her friend Eilidh MacLeod, 14, one of the 22 who died, are thought to have been close to the suicide bomber.

The teenager has been sedated in a Manchester hospital since the attack and was said to have been unable so far to communicate with her parents Michael and Margaret, who are at her bedside.

However, according to a family friend, while she remains in critical condition she is also responding to treatment and has undergone several successful operations on her leg and eye.

Her parents released a tribute to her on Thursday night, describing her as a “funny and witty young girl who excels at everything she does”.

They added: ”She and Eilidh were so looking forward to the concert but that night has now ended in tragedy.

"Eilidh has lost her life and Laura is in a critical condition. Our hearts and minds have been with Eilidh's family since we heard their news.

"We want to thank everybody for their support, including the emergency services for all they have done and continue to do.

"We know Laura is in the best possible place and receiving the best care she can. She is strong-willed and a fighter.”

Angus MacNeil, an SNP general election candidate who lives on Barra and whose daughter is a best friend of the injured girl, said Laura was able to say her name to hospital staff when she arrived.

Eolith’s parents were said by a relative to be consumed by grief. Donald Manford, the teenager’s great uncle, said he had spoken to Roddy and Marion MacLeod who were in the midst of a “harrowing and traumatic experience”.

Mr Manford, a local councillor, added that the island community of around 1,000 was “heartbroken”, but the support the family had received had been overwhelming.

Mr MacNeil said he had also spoken to Eilidh’s parents, adding: “Roddy was a tower of strength when I spoke to him, despite knowing this news and that his daughter’s body would not be released from the coroner for another week.

“Their pain is unimaginable and the circumstances of it are just awful. I can't begin to imagine how awful it is for Eilidh's parents."

The pair travelled 400 miles from the picturesque island in the Western Isles, where most of the residents can speak Gaelic, as a birthday treat for Eilidh and as a reward for their school exams.

Meanwhile, the Western Isles Council has sent a message of support to the people of Manchester after one of Britain’s biggest cities and the 23-square mile island were "joined together in tragedy".

Two funds set up to support the Barra families have so far raised more than £65,000.