Manchester bombing: First aider who comforted eight-year-old Saffie Roussos tells of the horror

Paul Reid says he tried to reassure the child as they waited for help following the explosion

Saffie Roussos is the youngest person known to have been killed in the attack

A first aider has told of the horror he witnessed in the immediate aftermath of the Manchester attack as he tried to comfort eight-year-old Saffie Roussos.

Paul Reid attempted to reassure Saffie, who is the youngest person known to have been killed in the explosion, as they waited for help following the explosion at the Manchester Arena.

The 43-year-old forklift truck driver said he wrapped the child in his coat before helping her on to a makeshift stretcher.

“She said, ‘What has happened?’ What could I say to her? I just tried to reassure her, then one of the paramedics came,” he told the Sun.

Mr Reid said he was one of the first people to notify the emergency services, calling “seconds after the bomb went off” and described the scenes as “absolute chaos”.

“The concert was just about to end and I was at the bottom of the stairs at the main exit. Then I just heard a boom. I could see dust, smoke and stuff flying around.

Paul Reid, from Walsall, who helped Saffie Rose Roussos (BBC Midlands)

“I ran back up the stairs and I was actually looking for a terrorist. I knew it had been a bomb.

“People were shouting, running and screaming. I will never forget the sounds. Inside the hall was absolute chaos,” he said.

The Independent has chosen not to report details of the injuries suffered by Saffie.

It is believed Saffie’s mother, Lisa, who attended the concert with her, is in critical condition in hospital and may be unaware that her youngest daughter has died.

A family friend, Salman Patel, described the news as “heart breaking”.

“Saffie has sadly passed away and her mother, we understand, isn’t aware. I am praying for the family,” Mr Patel told MailOnline.