Teenager survived Manchester bombing 'because she misread mother's text about where to meet'

A teenager has said the survived the Manchester Arena bombing because she misread a text from her mother telling her where to meet.

Charlotte Fawell, 15, lost her mother, Wendy, in the blast outside Ariana Grande's concert on Monday.

“I read the text wrong. If I’d have gone to the right door, I might not be here now. But I took a door on the left instead," Charlotte told The Sun on Sunday.

“I was walking out, a massive bang went off and the entire arena shook. I knew people were dead.

“I was ringing and ringing my mum, hoping she’d been knocked unconscious and she might wake up and answer — but she never did.”

She went on to ask the bomber, Salman Abedi: “How would you feel if you were my age and you had no mum?

"She promised to be here forever and now she isn’t — because of you.”

Charlotte, who was at the gig with her boyfriend Lee Davis, 16, did not find out her mother was dead until two days after the attack.

Wendy Fawell, a 50-year-old primary school teacher, was waiting to collect her daughter with her friend Caroline Davis Osborne when the bomb went off, killing Ms Fawell.

Ms Osborne has since taken in her best friend's daughter, vowing not to "let hate win".

She said Ms Fawell died heading to a different exit to make sure the pair did not miss their children.

A vigil had been held in Ms Fawell’s home town, Otley, west Yorkshire to pray for her safe return, which more than 100 people attended.

In a statement, her son said: "Me and my family are truly devastated by the news. Mum was a wonderful woman. So kind and generous and touched the lives of so many.

"She will be greatly missed. Also I would like to add, how much it means to us, what everybody at home and in Manchester have done to support us at this time. Thank you.