The general manager of Manchester Arena said the emergency services failed to use a back entrance in the aftermath of the 2017 terrorist attack which would have enabled ambulances to provide faster treatment for victims.
James Allen told the Manchester Arena Inquiry he arrived shortly after the suicide bombing which killed 22 people and injured hundreds more.
Salman Abedi detonated a bomb in May 2017 at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.
Mr Allen told the inquiry his staff had been told not to leave a control room and had "no contact" with the emergency services. They were not able to make them aware there was a back entrance with space for 12 ambulances.
During the inquiry, the emergency services have been criticised for their slow response and bereaved relatives and survivors have condemned delays in the treatment and evacuation of victims.
"I asked if [my staff] had had any contact with the emergency services, I would have expected it," Mr Allen said.
"I have been very clear that the Arena is there and available for guidance and assistance and anything we could to help but my staff said they had been told to go to the control area and not to leave."
He said he contacted an armed police officer at the incident and got in touch with the officer leading the response who wanted to access their CCTV.
But he said he was surprised the ambulances did not use the rear entrance as they asked all ambulances to use it as they can access the arena "more rapidly".
"We could probably have got 10 to 12 ambulances into that area, or any other things," he said.
Mr Allen also raised concerns over the skills of those giving medical aid to victims on the night of the terrorist attack.
He said the Arena used Emergency Training UK to provide medical aid to anyone attending the venue.
"I thought they did a fantastic job that night, the area that could have been better was the handover with the ambulance service," he said.
"I believe they had a really good level of expertise and a lot of knowledge and experience. I believe they had a really good mix of skills, but having heard some of the evidence we were concerned about the level of skills we expected in the contract."
He said he had asked the firm for more details about the medics employed by it but they had declined to do so, citing "confidentiality".
Mr Allen said a renewed contract with the firm specified that a list of the medics being used and their qualifications should be given to the Arena prior to every event, but the inquiry heard this had not been done.
"We had a contract with them saying they would provide the services we required, we were monitoring it but we did not ask for qualifications at every show."
The Manchester Arena Inquiry is examining the circumstances of the attack and whether any opportunities to prevent it were missed.
It was established by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in October.
Suicide bomber Abedi, 22, died after detonating a rucksack bomb in a foyer of the arena at the end of the concert.
His younger brother, Hashem Abedi, was convicted last year on 22 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of conspiracy to cause an explosion.
He was sentenced to jail for a minimum of 55 years.
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
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South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
HOW TO WATCH
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more from Janine di Giovanni
More from our neighbourhood series:
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE
First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC
Results
Stage Two:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates
4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
General Classification:
1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03
2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04
3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10
5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
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Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
