Families of the 22 give pen portraits at Manchester Arena inquiry

50 year old Wendy Fawell, Leeds

The death of an after-school club manager in the Manchester Arena attack left the children she cared for "bewildered''.

Mother-of-two Wendy Fawell, 50, from Otley, West Yorkshire, was a "nice and caring person'' who loved her job and "tried to mother everyone'', the public inquiry into the May 2017 bombings was told.

She was waiting to collect her daughter in the foyer of the Arena at the time of the explosion at the end of the Ariane Grande concert.

In a pen portrait of her life, her family said the huge Elvis Presley fan was "the life and soul of the party who had so much to live for''.

Wendy's family said: "How can anyone put into words the devastation of losing a loving daughter, mother and friend in such tragic, insane circumstances? The loss is indescribable. We have never felt such grief.

"All this has left us all totally heartbroken and our lives will never be the same. Every day little things bring home the fact that she is no longer with us. This we will have to live with for the rest of our lives.''

Mrs Fawell's father Michael, who died 11 months after his daughter, never got over her death, the hearing in Manchester was told.

Her mother, Julia, said: "It was double heartache for me when I lost Michael. I like to think he is with her now doing what he always did - looking after her.''

8 year old Saffie-Rose Roussos, Leyland

The father of the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing has told the public inquiry that lessons "should have been already been learnt and in place'' after the 7/7 and 9/11 terror attacks.

Andrew Roussos said the life of his eight-year-old daughter, Saffie-Rose, was "not a practice exercise'' for the security services and emergency services as he told inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders: "Enough is enough, sir.''

He spoke out after family and friends delivered emotional tributes to the youngster, described as a "born entertainer'' who captured the hearts of strangers and which culminated with her anguished mother, Lisa, telling of the moment she woke from a coma to be told Saffie had died in the explosion in May 2017.

In a video recorded message played at the inquiry, Saffie's mum Lisa said: "The day I woke up from the coma ... Andrew held my hand and looked up at me, I instantly knew. 'Saffie has gone, hasn't she?' And he replied: 'Yes.'

"I cried and begged and pleaded with him to let me die too. I can look after her, I cried.

"I did die that day. Inside I am dead. My heart is so heavy, it weighs me down.

"But I have still got my part to play in my family, I am a wife and a mother and I have to be there for Andrew, Ashlee (daughter) and Xander (son).

"When my children are grown and have their own families and I have fulfilled my role as a mother, I will be with my little Saffie again. I am so desperate to hold her close, and smell her hair and to feel her cheek on mine. My precious baby girl.''

43 year old Elaine McIver, Cheshire

The partner of Cheshire Police officer Elaine McIver presented a pen portrait, read by Elaine's best friend.

Paul Price was badly injured in the attack himself. He explained how music bought the two of them together, "going to concerts" and "listening to each other's choice of music."

The inquiry heard how the couple had only just received an offer a new house, which he described as their "forever" home.

Paul said they had only just found each other "after years of heartache and being alone", adding "all we did was make plans for our future."

"I am lost and alone. I am forever broken-hearted and the sadness will never go away."

15 year old Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Bury

15-year-old Olivia Campbell-Hardy dreamed of becoming a singer in the West End or a music teacher, the inquiry into the May 2017 attack was told.

She loved music and had "so much to give'', her mother Charlotte Hodgson told the hearing.

In a video message played during the commemorative stage of the inquiry for the 22 victims, Mrs Hodgson said: "Ollie were a funny kid, she would always do things purposely to make people laugh.

"Ollie didn't walk into a room, she made an entrance. The door would fling open, she would stand at the doorway and she would shout 'Bonjour!'.

Mrs Hodgson said her daughter made an impact on everyone she met.

She said: "Since Ollie's gone the laughter has left. I tell a story and expect to hear her laugh but there is just silence. I am never going to hear her laugh again.''

She explained how her daughter "hated'' odd numbers and would turn the television volume to a 10 if it was on 11.

She said: "When she died she was given a body number, she was number five. She would have hated that, being an odd number.

"Whoever gave her that number is surely being haunted by her.

"Olivia is not a number. To the world she is one of the 22 angels. Not to me, she is Ollie.

"She will never just be a number.''

The commemorative part of the hearings will conclude this week.

The public inquiry will examine the background to the attack by suicide bomber Salman Abedi and the response of the emergency services and will conclude next spring.