Manchester 1996 bombing: man arrested over IRA blast released without charge

A man who was arrested in connection with the 1996 bombing in Manchester city centre has since been released without charge.

The man was detained on Thursday night at Birmingham Airport to be questioned today by counter terror officers.

However police confirmed the man was released without charge the following day.

A 1500kg device was detonated by the IRA on Saturday 15 June 1996, causing devastation to the city centre in the area around the Arndale Centre - and injuring hundreds.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Meeks, Head of Investigations for Counter Terrorism Policing North West said: "Although thankfully no-one was killed during the 1996 Manchester bombing by the IRA, hundreds of people were left with injuries - many of which were life changing – and many more across Greater Manchester and the North West were affected by what happened on that day.

“We have always been committed to holding those responsible for the attack to account and bringing them to justice and have been reinvestigating for several years; with a team of dedicated detectives re-examining the original case files and pursuing new lines of inquiry.

"We remain determined to hold those responsible for this attack to account regardless of the time passed and would still encourage anyone who has any information that could assist our enquiries to get in touch via the Major Incident Portal."