Manchester terror attack will teach UK 'a lesson for not co-operating with Russian intelligence'

A Russian politician has said that the Manchester terror attack will teach the UK security services a "lesson" for not cooperating with Moscow and for playing political games instead.

Senior senator Viktor Ozerov, head of the Russian upper house's defence and security committee, made a number of controversial comments about the suicide bombing that left 22 dead and 59 injured.

Extremists Isis have claimed the attack with police naming Manchester resident Salman Abedi, 22, as their main suspect.

On Tuesday (23 May) Russian President Vladimir Putin "expressed his deep condolences" to his British counterpart Theresa May, suggesting stronger links between the two nations.

But his 59-year-old ally told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that the horrific bombing at the Manchester Arena, as US singer Ariana Grande wrapped up her concert, could have been avoided.

"Unfortunately, what happened in Manchester was a lesson to the British intelligence services that without the help of other countries, their work will fail," Ozerov said.

"[It] is yet another signal that the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin should be heard across the world. He has called time and again for a united front against terrorism, complete with uniform rules and free from double standards."

The UK and Moscow are at loggerheads over Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the country's annexation of Ukraine and the fallout over the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko with polonium in November 2006 which was suspected to be the work of Russian operatives.

But Ozerov seemed not to care about stoking tensions further by blaming the UK for making itself vulnerable to terrorists.

Ozerov added according to the Daily Mail: "We have said several times that - although the UK was the first country that refused to cooperate with us on the level of intelligence services - we are ready to share any information we have. And, of course, this now applies."

The explosion sparked frenzied escapes of the arena with families desperately trying to get in contact with loved ones through the night.

As it stands three people, Saffie Rose Roussos, eight, Georgina Calder, 18, and 26-year-old John Atkinson have been named as amongst the dead.

Prime suspect Abedi, 22, is believed to be of Libyan descent and a former University of Salford student, who dropped out of his studies.

May has announced that the UK's terror threat level has been raised to 'critical' from 'severe' after advice from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre meaning another attack maybe imminent.