Less than 24 hours after the Manchester atrocity the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group claimed responsibility for the murders.

The extremists were quick to call the killer one of their soldiers, as has become the trend in the wake of many recent attacks in Europe.

According to the SITE Intel Group, which monitors jihadist groups, the IS statement described the explosion as having taken place at a "shameless concert arena".

They appeared to wrongly state that a number of explosive devices had been detonated, when police have said the attacker was carrying one bomb.

Part of the investigation into what happened is probing whether the killer was acting alone or as part of a network.

IS has previously encouraged lone wolf attacks against Westerners.

Monday night's carnage came as a result of a method described by some terror experts as more "sophisticated" than other recent attacks in Europe.

The apparent suicide bombing tactic is markedly different from lone wolf Khalid Masood's car and knife rampage in Westminster earlier this year.