Silent tribute to 22 victims of terror

But the father of eight year-old victim Saffie-Rose Roussos said that, while they have had to move home to escape “too painful” memories, “there are a lot of good people out there and we have been overwhelmed by the love people have shown.”

As Manchester unites in defiance against terror and to honour the victims, Andrew Roussos, 44, said his family had “seen the worst” of evil.

He added: “When an atrocity like this happens and people say, ‘This is wrong and we will support you’, it does help you in your darkest hours.

“The support has been heartfelt and genuine and has come from right across the world.

“Nothing will ever bring Saffie back but knowing the public is behind you restores your faith in human nature.”

At 2pm today the Duke of Cambridge and Prime Minister Theresa May will join dignitaries and victims’ families at a remembrance service at Manchester Cathedral.

The service will also be shown at York Minster, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and Glasgow Cathedral.

Later, a Manchester Together – With One Voice event outside the town hall will see more than 3,000 singers from local choirs join forces.

Among those performing is the Manchester Survivors Choir, created by those at the arena on the night of the fateful Ariane Grande concert.

The choir has adopted the Manchester bee which, once a sign of its industrial heritage, has become a symbol of unity for the city.

At 10.31pm, bells will ring out across the city to mark the moment when the attack took place.

Islamic State-inspired Abedi was born in Manchester in 1994. The son of Libyan refugees who fled to the UK, he grew up in a Muslim household in the city but became radicalised after visiting his parents’ home country and Syria.

Abedi, who died aged 22, is thought to have come back to Britain from Libya just days before the massacre.

Saffie had gone to the concert with her mother Lisa, 48, and her sister Ashlee Bromwich, 24, both of whom suffered serious injuries.

Lisa awoke from a coma to be told of her daughter’s death.

In the weeks that followed, the family’s chip shop business in Leyland, Lancs, became a sea of floral tributes to the little girl.

But they have since sold up and moved south.

Devastated Andrew said: “Our life, our home and our business were in Leyland and Saffie was such a huge character and a massive part of it.

“To go back without her and to have those constant memories would have been too hard.”

Mourners at Saffie’s funeral each carried a single rose and they adorned her coffin.

Her mother is hoping to have a rose named after Saffie, sales of which will raise money for charity.

The We Love Manchester Emergency Fund has also collected around £20million in donations, with around £17million earmarked for victims.

Councillor Sue Murphy, chair of the trustees, said: “We know that some of those who were injured have had their lives totally changed. Many of those people will never fully recover.

“Thanks to the generosity of the people of Manchester, and around the world, we are able to make further gifts to those most seriously injured.

“We will now spend some time looking at how we will distribute the rest of the funds.

“This will be a complex and sensitive process as we will need to assess the long-term impacts of the attack.”