T-shirt seller rushed to aid of 12-year-old girl hurt in Manchester bombing

A merchandise seller ripped up concert T-shirts to help stem the bleeding of a 12-year-old girl injured in the Manchester bomb attack before she was taken to hospital, her family said.

The parents of Amy Barlow, from Helmshore in Lancashire, told how the man used souvenirs from the Ariana Grande concert as bandages while taking instructions from a doctor over the phone.

Mum Cathy, 43, was with her daughter when the bomb went off and said it felt like "someone had thrown a massive firework" as they were struck by shrapnel.

The family shared their story from Amy's bedside at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital after she was visited by the Queen.

Amy told the Press Association: "I just came out of the arena, and I was with my friend and my mum, and then I felt something hitting my legs - and then I ran.

"I saw the blood pour down my legs and had to sit down."

Mrs Barlow, a graphic designer, said: "When she got outside, we realised how bad it was."

Amy suffered multiple injuries on her legs and was struck by a bolt on her side, but outside people quickly rushed to her aid.

Her father Grant Barlow, 46, said: "The guy selling T-shirts used the T-shirts as bandages."

Mrs Barlow said: "I think he was selling them outside, but he very quickly dumped his bag on the floor, ripped them all up.

"He was on the phone to the doctor, and he said 'get her leggings off, hold her feet up'.

"And other people dashed to help me because I couldn't do it on my own - and then he tied them up."

She added that a trainee nurse, someone with first aid experience and a man trained to deal with trauma kept Amy talking and also looked after her friend until her parents came.

Describing the moment of the attack, Amy said: "I thought something had crashed into the building."

Mrs Barlow added: "It sort of sounded like someone had thrown a massive firework at our feet and it felt like stones had been thrown.

"Like someone had chucked the stone really hard.

"But I think in the panic, we just ran... I just said 'Run', and we ran as far as we could, until we realised she was injured."

Mrs Barlow escaped with just a cut on her leg and Amy's friend had shrapnel in her hip but is recovering at home.

The youngster is a big Grande fan - but her T-shirt in honour of the star was ripped off by medics as they worked to treat Amy, her parents said.

Mr Barlow vowed to write to the singer and ask for a new one as Amy recovers in hospital.