Survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing have legally applied to play a key role in the public inquiry into the atrocity. A hearing was told 44 families and individuals, composing in total 56 individuals, have applied to be granted 'core participant' status.
A chairman of any public inquiry may designate a person or organisation as a core participant. If granted, core participants may receive advance disclosure of evidence, make statements at certain hearings or apply through their legal representatives to a chairman to ask questions of certain witnesses.
Legal submissions were made at today's hearing to the chairman of the inquiry, Sir John Saunders, a retired High Court judge.