Manchester Arena attack survivors win £45,000 damages in harassment case

A judge ruled in favour of Martin Hibbert (pictured) and his daughter, saying their harasser’s behaviour was ‘a negligent, indeed reckless, abuse of media freedom’. Photograph: James Manning/PA

Two Manchester Arena bombing survivors have been awarded £45,000 in damages after suing a former TV producer who claimed the attack was staged.

Martin Hibbert and his daughter Eve sued Richard Hall for harassment over his claims in several videos and a book that the attack was a state-orchestrated hoax, with the pair involved as “crisis actors”.