'Worst night of my life' - local dad recalls waiting for call from daughter caught up in Manchester attack

As the shocking tragedy unfolded a Derry dad waited anxiously to hear from his daughter who was working at the Manchester Arena last night. He spoke to NAOMI HOLLAND

A Londonderry dad recalled today ‘the worst night of my life’ as he waited desperately for news from his daughter who had been working at the Manchester Arena.

In an interview with Downtown & Cool FM, Sean Woods told how he “just crumbled” after hearing the bomb had killed and injured so many.

His daughter Niamh had been one of a number of Derry students working in the Arena where blast happened.

Sean told us of the moment he finally heard from her.

“I have never heard fear like that in my daughter’s voice like that before she was in a locked room with double glass doors because they were counting the takings from the bar,” he said.

“She said daddy I just heard this massive explosion and within seconds people were hammering and banging on the double doors to try and get in to get away from the explosions – covered in blood and their clothes drenched in blood.”

Sean said that he then took to social media to get in touch with her friends.

“I was able to contact all of these friends on social media and all of those girls stepped up to the mark,” he said.

“They were so quick in responding.

“That was in itself very reassuring – it took my mind off the prospect of Niamh being hurt.

“I was kind of calm about things but the second the news give out that there were fatalities that was it. I just crumbled.”

Sean and his wife Bernadette are now trying to arrange for Niamh to come home as quickly as possible.