Manchester attack: Eight-year-old survivor reunited with the PC who rescued her after arena bombing

'I know you just say you were just doing your job but we just don't know how to say thank you enough,' says victim's mother

Lily Harrison, eight, who suffered a shrapnel wounds and a bruised lung after the blast threw her to the ground, hugged PC Cath Daley when she saw her for the first time since the incident (screen grab)

A young girl who was left unconscious after the terror attack on Manchester Arena has been reunited with the police officer who rescued her.

Lily Harrison suffered a shrapnel wounds and a bruised lung after the blast threw her to the ground.

The eight-year-old hugged PC Cath Daley when she saw her for the first time since the incident on 22 May.

Her mum, Lauren Thorpe, said without PC Daley’s help the outcome could have been “completely different”.

Ms Thorpe, who was also injured in the attack and had to undergo three operations in seven days, said that at one stage she thought her daughter was dead as she fell in and out of consciousness and appeared to stop breathing.

But amid the flurry of concert goers desperately trying to escape the venue, PC Daley and her colleague spotted Lily’s parents crouched around their unconscious daughter.

Lily and pC Daley had an emotion reunion when they met three months after the Manchester attack (screengrab)

Realising they couldn’t wait for an ambulance, PC Daley decided to get the family into her police van and drive them to the hospital. They arrived so quickly the medical staff weren’t yet aware of what had happened and had to be warned to expect an influx of casualties from the scene.

PC Daley then returned to the arena and helped ferry more injured victims away from the bomb site.

She told ITV that they were required to use crash barriers as make shift stretchers to get the injured out. They ripped up cardboard boxes to use as padding against the metal, she said.

During the emotional reunion, Ms Thorpe told PC Daley: "We're just really grateful because without you... it could have been a completely different situation.

"I know you just say you were just doing your job but we just don't know how to say thank you enough."

Twenty-two people died and dozens were injured in the suicide bombing carried out by Salman Abedi as revellers left an Ariana Grande concert.

The reunion of PC Daley and Lily will be aired on ITV at 9pm tonight in a documentary called Manchester: 100 days after the attack.