right we heard he panic. that's right, we heard the explosion live as we were broadcasting, so that was a controlled explosion. we now know that this is being treated as a terrorist incident. and we are getting information, ialluded terrorist incident. and we are getting information, i alluded to this earlier on, from sources in the states. we a re this earlier on, from sources in the states. we are getting an information —— information from us officials saying that a suicide bomber is suspected in the explosion. we haven't heard that officially from greater manchester police but according to sources in the states it was a suicide bomber. we heard from our correspondent, ed thomas, who had been talking to eyewitness is there. he talked about nuts and bolts being found on the floor. they may have been debris from the explosion, but it could also have been shrapnel which is often included in a suicide bomb, on occasions like this, so that is one possibility. we are hoping to get an update from greater manchester police in the press conference in about 15 minutes‘ time. police in the press conference in about 15 minutes' time. we are just hearing online that the police say

that that controlled explosion was not actually a suspicious item. we believe it may have been clothing. abandoned clothing, we are hearing. soa abandoned clothing, we are hearing. so a precautionary measure, it seems, by the police here, to blow up seems, by the police here, to blow up whatever they found their. that is right. this often happens after these incidents. somebody saw some clothing, thought it was a bomb, and police had to act accordingly. i am sure they are getting similar reports elsewhere. the problem for police is to sift through that information and find out what they have to act upon. in this case, a precautionary

controlled explosion. they have to sift through vast amounts of information. we have been hearing from so many people, andy, who told us from so many people, andy, who told us what it was like inside at the time of the explosion. how people reacted. one wasjosh elliot, who spoke to clive myrie. there was a loud bang. some said two, i only heard one. it was hectic. it was unreal. everyone was charging towards the doors. i said to my friend there was a little girl. she told everyone to get down. everyone got down on the floor. everyone got down on the floor. everyone was just running out as fast as they could. many people were

covered in blood. i think everyone was running out so fast that i think people were getting hit into walls and stuff like that. we have been showing a little bit of the footage from inside the arena, josh, while you have been speaking. we can see thousands of people desperately trying to get out probably through the exits. clearly there was an atmosphere of hysteria. the exits. clearly there was an atmosphere of hysterialj the exits. clearly there was an atmosphere of hysteria. i have never in my life been in a situation like that. i know many people talk about this, but it is the most horrific thing that can happen to a person. terrifying. i will never forget it. some people suggesting people have been injured. have you seen anything

that might suggest that? yeah, yeah. when we first came out the door there was a guy covered in blood. i think he was cutjust under the middle of his eyebrows. it was covered in blood. there was also a person, a woman, outside. my friend saw her. and, yeah, it was... we saw two people altogether, but we don't know how many altogether were hurt. so, you are confirming there have been injuries as a result of this. but it is unclearjust how serious the injuries are. i think what the injuries have come from is people trying to get out as quickly as possible. they have been hurt that way. 0k. right. i personally don't know what it was. some people say it was a balloon blowing up, but we

just don't know really what it was. sure, josh. some people on social media are suggesting it was some kind ofan media are suggesting it was some kind of an explosion. did it sounds like that are you? could it just have been balloons going off? many came down. they were massive! they we re came down. they were massive! they were bigger than some of the kids! me and my friends, the only thing we saw was someone me and my friends, the only thing we saw was someone telling us to get on the floor. we said it was just a balloon, it was just a balloon. the floor. we said it was just a balloon, it wasjust a balloon. but at the same time, i don't know. in situations like this, you just don't know what it is. you cannot be certain. of course, josh. has everyone managed to get out of the arena now? i think everyone is out now. we just ran. arena now? i think everyone is out now. wejust ran. we are back home. but by the time we got out, well, we

we re but by the time we got out, well, we were the last to probably get out. clive myrie talking to an eyewitness, josh elliot, earlier. we will bring you up—to—date. in the last few minutes there has been a controlled explosion carried out by greater manchester police a short distance away from manchester arena, but now we know it was not a suspicious item, but discarded clothing, detonated in that incident, a precautionary measure by greater manchester police. andy moore is with us. in terms of what has been confirmed, where are we? the incident happened at 10:35 last night according to greater manchester police. they are treating it as manchester police. they are treating itasa manchester police. they are treating it as a terrorist incident unless they get information otherwise. they say 19 people have been confirmed dead, umm, 50 people injured. we heard from british transport police that the explosion happened in the foyer area. we heard from manchester

arena themselves, they say the explosion happened in a public space outside their venue. we have heard from eyewitnesses in the immediate aftermath of the explosion that they could see nuts and bolts on the floor. we don't know if that was debris from the explosion or if it was some sort of shrapnel involved in the explosion. the arena has been cleared, but police are still at the scene carrying out a controlled explosion, as we saw and heard. and ambulance staff are still dealing with casualties. thank you for the moment, andy. rebecca baty was an eyewitness at the event. she spoke to the bbc soon after the first reports. myself and my friends were in the arena at the time. we were sort of at the other side of the arena to where the, sort of, noise, whatever it was, came from. we just heard a

very, very loud bang. everyone started running and screaming and we did too. we got out of the building. me and my friend were close to the exits are we did not have to go very far. but there were people pushing trying to get out quickly. the congestion of people, obviously, i can understand injuries. i don't think it was a balloon because we heard from across the other side of the arena. there were a lot of balloons let off during the concert, but i don't think that is what it was. may be audio equipment. we were close to the exit, so we were lucky. but other people were literally running from one side of the arena to the other. that may be the cause of the injuries you have been

talking about, because people were trying to get from one side of the arena to the other. she was speaking just as the news arrived of what actually happened. obviously, we know that the news is a lot more sinister than perhaps we hoped initially with the talk of these balloons exploding. this is now a suspected terrorist attack and police have confirmed an explosion in the foyer of the arena. there is an ongoing investigation around the venue. that is right. we are getting information from american sources, strangely enough, numerous sources now, several, in the states, talking about a suicide bomber being because the blast. that has not been confirmed by police here in the uk. they are simply talking about a

terrorist incident. just to give you an update on the security situation here in the uk at the moment, we are at severe level, that is the second highest level of severity. and that means an attack is highly likely. there is only one level above that, thatis there is only one level above that, that is critical, and that means an attack is expected imminently. we also know that home office officials, that anti—terrorist police, have been meeting in whitehall in the centre of government this evening to discuss the country's reaction to this, what appears to be a terrorist incident. thank you very much for the moment, andy moore. and just to remind you of the main threads of what has happened in the last you hours, 19 people are now known to have died. around 15 people have been injured, sorry, 50, in a suspected terrorist attack in manchester arena during a

concert i the american singer, ariana grande. we will pause for the weather. last week across the british isles, the weather can from low pressure. we change the week and the nature of the weather due to high pressure close to us through most of the week until the bank holiday weekend. lots of this kind of thing. buttercups enjoying the sunshine and fairly cloudy fare here in northern ireland. further north towards inverness, a lot of cloud. that were the feature is moving as we start tuesday towards the northern isles. —— weather. a chilly start to parts of scotland. further south, —— weather. a chilly start to parts of scotland. furthersouth, high pressure not in place. this air

comes from the atlantic and it is warm and moist and will be all over the channel islands and the isles of scilly, coming into the west midlands as well. some of it sitting very low across the moors in the south—west in the western hills of wales. further east, further north, dry and bright and sunny for the most part. you still have the weather front close to the northern isles. cloud and the odd shower passing through the central belt of scotland. not a great deal changes very rapidly through the day. it stays fairly cloudy in the southern counties of both england and wales. the cloud knowing ever eastwards. a lot of fine weather in the midlands, northern england, the central part of scotla nd northern england, the central part of scotland as well. more cloud for northern ireland later on. eventually, the weather front thickening the cloud in the west of scotland. if you are heading to chelsea and the next few days, you have certainly picked a good year,

because look at this! fine and settled fare all the way, thanks to the high pressure. on wednesday it will certainly have risen up, influencing much more of the british isles for the greater part of the day. still not quite doing enough to keep the frontal systems away from the northern and north—western parts of scotland. enough in the way of cloud, again, for bits and pieces of rain. further south, variable amounts of cloud. temperatures getting into 2a, 25 later in the week. it will be dry. lots of sunshine to be watch out for the strength of the sun. uv levels will be higher. turning very warm. certainly towards the end of the week the start of the weekend, we could be pushing in some spots towards 30 degrees. welcome to bbc news, with karin giannone and tom donkin. we start with our breaking news

from the north—west of england. police say at least 19 people have been killed and more than 50 others injured in an explosion at manchester arena. they says it is being treated as a terrorist incident. witnesses reported hearing a loud bang in the venue at the end of an ariane grande concert. the complex is above a railway station, and train services have been suspended. on the line is imran, who was outside the concert waiting to pick up his partner and their daughter when the explosion happened. hello to you.