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Revealed: Salman Abedi 'practised' making bombs in rented flat

Police officers tie up cordon tape outside a barber's shop in Moss Side after a raid: Reuters
Police officers tie up cordon tape outside a barber's shop in Moss Side after a raid: Reuters

Suicide bomber Salman Abedi “practised” making bombs in a rented flat weeks before he carried out his murderous attack, it was claimed today.

The fanatic rented a flat in the north of Manchester six weeks before the attack where the landlord later found curtain cut up into several pieces alongside bolts and other building materials in the bathroom.

Abedi, 22, rented the one-bedroom flat in Broadmoss Drive, Blakley after seeing an advert on website Gumtree.

He rented another flat in central Manchester days before the attack where he is thought to have finally assembled the shrapnel bomb which killed 22 in the Manchester Arena attack on Monday.

Bomber: Salman Abedi
Bomber: Salman Abedi

The landlord contacted Greater Manchester Police after realising Abedi had been his tenant, a friend said.

The friend told the Standard: “He realised Abedi had rented his flat for more than a month about six weeks ago.

“One time he found curtain cut up into lots of pieces and metal, like bolts and building site materials, in the bathroom.

A minute's silence was held for the victims in Manchester yesterday (AP)
A minute's silence was held for the victims in Manchester yesterday (AP)

“He didn’t imagine that he was a terrorist. But it does now look as though he was practising to make a bomb.”

The friend added: “He also said the bomber was very strange because he was very, very quiet and just acted strangely.

“After he realised that the bomber had rented his flat after seeing him on the news he went straight to police by himself. He rented the flat to him for more than a month.

“At the time, he didn’t know he was a bad man. He also said when he went there that the windows were never opened. It was like you couldn’t breath in there. The tenant never opened the windows.”

The development came as:

  • Police in Greater Manchester made a new arrest in Moss Side early today and searched two further addresses in the city, a pizza shop and a barber’s.

  • Eight men aged between 18 and 38 are being questioned in custody about links to the attack with police saying there have been “significant arrests.”

  • Police have made a total of ten arrests on suspicion of terrorism offences, including a woman and a 16-year-old boy, both of whom were later relased without charge.

  • Manchester-born Abide may have planned the attack for a year, opening a bank account 12 months ago and only using it to buy nails and screws for the bomb at B&Q and Screwfix in mid-April.

  • The bomber assembled his device in a rented £75-a-night one bedroom flat close the Manchester Piccadilly station in the city centre.

  • Police fear material for a second device is outstanding after finding evidence of a huge cache of explosive material at one address.

  • Abedi was associated with associated with criminals and gangs in Manchester and said to have been upset when one friend was embroiled in a gangland feud.

As the investigation focused on a loose network of Libyan associates in Manchester and the Midlands in London a huge security operation is being planned for the weekend.

Hundreds of armed officers and armoured vehicles are being deployed to protect events such as the FA Cup Final on Saturday.

Scotland Yard said Jenkel armoured cars would be positioned around Wembley Stadium to support armed officers on foot patrol, while firearms cops will patrol Tubes and trains.

Extra armed police will be deployed at Wembley for the FA cup final (Getty Images)
Extra armed police will be deployed at Wembley for the FA cup final (Getty Images)

The Met said the deployment of soldiers on the streets had freed up armed officers to carry out patrols at events such as the rugby premiership final at Twickenham.

Chief Superintendent Jon Williams said: “The focus is the safety and security of fans. Anyone coming to the FA Cup Final or the other play off matches over the weekend will see an increase in police numbers in and around the stadium.

“This will include extra armed officers on foot patrol around the environs of the stadium, and the deployment of police armoured vehicles to support road closures.

"At Twickenham rugby fans will see more armed officers on foot around the stadium.

“This is designed to make London as hostile an environment as possible to terrorists.”