Concern for Scottish teenagers missing in Manchester

Two Scottish girls remain missing and at least four people have been treated in hospital in Scotland following the terror attack in Manchester, the First Minister has told MSPs.

Nicola Sturgeon said the authorities cannot be sure there are no other Scots affected.

The explosion at the Ariana Grande concert on Monday night at the Manchester Arena has left 22 dead and at least 59 injured.

Police Scotland are in contact with the families of Laura MacIntyre and Eilidh MacLeod, who attended the concert but have not been seen since the attack.

The First Minister told Holyrood's chamber: “Currently we are aware of four people who have presented at hospitals here in Scotland.

“I understand that two have already been discharged and that a third is likely to be discharged in the course of today.

“Indeed, it is my information that none of their injuries are life-threatening.

“Police Scotland are also in contact with and offering support to the families of Laura MacIntyre and Eilidh MacLeod, two young girls from Barra who are still unaccounted for having attended the concert last night.

“It is hard for any of us to imagine the anguish that their families are going through right now.

“They are in our thoughts and the Scottish Government and Police Scotland will do all we possibly can to ensure that they have all the support they need.

“I must stress that we cannot be sure at this stage that there are no other Scots affected, but we continue to liaise closely with Police Scotland to gather information and provide all appropriate support.''

Ms Sturgeon was updating MSPs following a meeting of the Scottish Government's resilience committee on Monday morning.

The committee is due to meet again later today.

The First Minister confirmed she has written to the mayor of Manchester offering condolences and support, and expressing solidarity.

The Government has been in touch with Young Scot, Education Scotland and councils to provide guidance on helping young people who may have been affected, she said.

Ms Sturgeon also confirmed Police Scotland have increased security at locations such as transport hubs and city centres as a “precautionary measure”.

Police will keep the arrangements, as well as those for security at coming events, under review, she added.

“My thoughts, those of this Parliament, indeed all of the people of Scotland, are with those who have lost loved ones or sustained injuries in this dreadful atrocity”, Ms Sturgeon said.

“There can be nothing more cowardly than attacking children and young people enjoying a fun night-out.

“Across Scotland today we stand in solidarity with the people of Manchester, a great city with which so many of us here in Scotland share a great affinity.

“Police Scotland will be present at motorway service stations working with the British Transport Police to identify any possible witnesses returning to Scotland from Manchester,” Ms Sturgeon continued.

“What happened last night was a brutal terror attack and at times like this it is understandable, unavoidable, that people feel scared and anxious,” she added.

“That is why it is my priority, working with Police Scotland, to ensure that we offer reassurance, but also to ensure that all appropriate protective and precautionary measures are being taken.

“It is important to emphasise that at this stage the security threat level remains unchanged.

“I also want to stress that at this time there is no intelligence of any increased threat or risk to Scotland.”

Ms Sturgeon said the increased police presence in Scotland, including armed officers, was precautionary.

“Police Scotland will keep all of these arrangements under review as well as the arrangements for the various upcoming events that we know about over the next few days,” she said.

“These events range from the small daily events and celebrations that make up the very fabric of our society, to large-scale football matches, marathons and VIP events.

“Police Scotland is looking very closely at every event and the security around them.

“This will include every single event due to take place over the next 14 days, to ensure that a consistent and appropriate approach is taken across the country.”

Ms Sturgeon said this included a full review of the Scottish Cup Final due to take place at Hampden on Saturday.

“This is in addition to the work that will be done to ensure public reassurance around the night-time economy and crowded places more generally.”

The First Minister added: “Last night's attack was particularly cruel in its targeting of children and young people enjoying a pop concert.

“An event that many of them will have been looking forward to for months. That they should have been confronted with such horror is utterly appalling.”

She continued: “Terrorists and extremists seek to divide us and destroy our way of life.

“As human beings, we cannot comprehend the twisted motivations that lead people to carry out such atrocities, particularly when they target children and young people in such a callous way.

“Our best response now and always is to stand firm with determination and in solidarity, to make clear to all those who would seek to undermine our values, target our children and destroy our way of life that they will not succeed - not now and not ever.”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said the people of Manchester had responded with “courage and decency in the face of cowardice and evil”.

The values of “tolerance, openness and respect for one another” had been demonstrated by police, paramedics, doctors and nurses who had worked through the night, as well as the countless householders and taxi drivers who had offered assistance.

Ms Davidson said that while “no words” could express the horror of the attack, “we must repeat that we will not be beaten by the twisted ideology of terrorism, we must repeat that we will not ourselves descend into hatred or rage, we will repeat and repeat and repeat that we stand tall, we stand together, we respond to every act of terror that strikes our nation by shouting from the rooftops that our values, our freedoms cannot and will not be diminished”.

She added: “Manchester will now be added to the grim roll call of those cities across Europe that have been affected by this terrorism.

“Like those other cities, it will first cry, then grieve and then continue with spirit unbroken showing that terrorism will never win.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said the children at the concert would have been the “very picture of innocence”.

She said: “Being at a gig is a moment of sheer joy. Last night that joy was destroyed in a despicable act of cowardice.”

She said the natural reaction to hearing of terrorist atrocities is to “cover our children's ears and protect them from the knowledge”, but there is no softening the blow for the witnesses to the Manchester attack.

She added: “We cannot explain it to them. How can you tell an eight-year-old that there is a justifiable reason that children died last night?

“How can you explain the actions, the thought-process, of someone who can look at a concert full of young people and see nothing but a target?

“What we can do is respond well. We can teach our children that the only way to counter such barbarity is not with hate and with fear, but with compassion, tolerance, kindness and love - like the people of Manchester did last night.”

Flags have been flying at half-mast at Holyrood as a mark of respect for the victims and a book of condolence has been opened.

Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh said: “There is a tangible sense of shock and sorrow in Parliament as we come together today and reflect on the events of last night in Manchester.

“The fact that those deliberately targeted in the attack were innocent children and young people who had come together to enjoy a concert makes the news all the more devastating.

“With our sorrow comes compassion and a sense of determination.

“Compassion for the victims and their families, gratitude for the emergency services and all of those who rushed to the scene to offer help and comfort - and determination to stand with the people of Manchester in the face of such horror.”

Scottish Green co-convener Patrick Harvie offered his “deepest sympathies” to all those affected by “this vicious attack”.

He spoke out against the “the grotesque motivations behind such an act” but stressed the need to “always keep in mind the need to preserve our commitment to being a free and open society, where security measures are used where needed and not allowed to become a way of life”.

He told MSPs he had lived in Manchester for several years when he was a student, adding that not long after he left the city there had been a terrorist bombing in its centre.

Mr Harvie said: “Manchester came together, they stood together, they supported one another they became strong and they showed their resilience.

“I have no doubt at all Manchester will do the same again.”

He asked Ms Sturgeon what the Scottish Government was doing to prevent hate crimes in response to the terror attack, saying: “Our best response is to stand firm in solidarity.

“That means ensuring certainly terrorism never achieves its goal but also that those who react to it, out of hatred, prejudice or a demand for retribution also never achieve their goals.”

Ms Sturgeon said that would be “one of the priorities” over the next few days.

She told Mr Harvie: “Of course we mustn't speculate at this stage about the identity or the background of the individual who carried out this atrocity - that information will undoubtedly become known over the course of the next few days - but what we must be clear about even at this stage is that this individual was not acting on behalf of any section of our community or any faith in our society.

“This was an individual committing terrorist atrocities. Part of the purpose of those atrocities is to seek to divide us and turn against each other and we must be absolutely determined that will not be allowed to happen.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “This morning was a moment that when you woke up and you heard the news on the radio you tried to turn it off, as if by not hearing it you could make it not true.”

He added: “We are all horrified that such an attack can take place upon young people.”

He spoke about the people in Manchester “throwing open their homes to give shelter” while others queued to donate blood.

Mr Rennie said: “We will use intelligence and devoted duty to seek out and stop those individuals who choose to kill fellow humans. They will not succeed. Our better human values will prevail.

“It is hard today, here and in Manchester to say that. But our better human values will prevail.”

The session at Holyrood ended with MSPs and others observing a minute's silence for those affected by the attack.

• Manchester Arena bomb