A damning report which uncovered serious failings by the emergency services on the night of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack pointed to the role played by six key commanders who oversaw the debacle.
The Force Duty Officer (FDO) on the night of the attack, Inspector Dale Sexton, had ‘correctly’ launched Operation Plato - the police response to a continuing marauding terror attack - over fears of a second terrorist at large, the report concludes.
It was ‘vital’ he shared this with the other emergency services that night but he ‘failed to do so’, said the report. Sir John said Insp Sexton ‘failed because he was overburdened on the night’, adding that GMP ‘had known for years’ that he would become overwhelmed in the event of such a terror attack.
