Latest update: 22 confirmed dead and 59 injured in Manchester Arena terror attack

Greater Manchester Police have heartbreakingly confirmed that the number of fatalities has risen to 22 with 59 people injured. The incident took place at Manchester Arena at 10.33pm on Monday night after the Ariana Grande concert had come to a close. The attacker was believed to be carrying an improvised explosive device.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of Greater Manchester Police who this has been 'the most horrific incident' they as as force have had to deal with.The full statement read:

'This has been the most horrific incident we have had to face in Greater Manchester and one that we all hoped we would never see.

Families and many young people were out to enjoy a concert at the Manchester Arena and have lost their lives. Our thoughts are with those 22 victims that we now know have died, the 59 people who have been injured and their loved ones. We continue to do all we can to support them. They are being treated at eight hospitals across Greater Manchester.

This is a fast-moving investigation and we have significant resources deployed to both the investigation and the visible patrols that people will see across Greater Manchester as they wake up to news of the events last night. This will include armed officers as people would expect. More than 400 officers have been involved in the operation during the night.

To remind you, we were called at 10.33pm to reports of an explosion at the Manchester Arena at the conclusion of an Ariana Grande concert. More than 250 calls came in and emergency services were very quickly on scene. Emergency numbers have been established for anyone who is concerned for loved ones who may not have returned home: 0161 856 9400 or 0161 856 9900.

We have been treating this as a terrorist incident and we believe that while the attack last night was conducted by one man. The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network.

The attacker, I can confirm, died at the arena. We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device, which he detonated, causing this atrocity.

We would ask people not to speculate on his details or to share names. There is a complex and wide-ranging investigation under way.

Our priority is to work with the national counter-terrorist policing network and UK intelligence services to establish more details about the individual who carried out this attack.'

We spoke to witnesses outside Manchester Arena.

And our reporter Amy Scarisbrick reported from the scene.

Here is a recap of the events from last night with footage from inside the arena and some of the tweets that come in from popstars.

A video was posted on Twitter by Alan Brennan that shows the confusion.

Inside the arena itself Twitter user hannawwh from Manchester captured the moments after the bang as fans began to evacuate.

Outside the arena Zach Bruce captured a video of fans running down the stairs into Victoria train station.

On Tuesday morning a freephone emergency number was released for those concerned about friends and family: 0800 096 0095