Overview
- Counter Terrorism Policing North West said on 11 June 2026 the investigation into the 1996 Arndale bombing is "no longer active" after detectives said they had exhausted all lines of enquiry.
- The attack took place on 15 June 1996 when a 3,300lb device hidden in a van exploded after a failed attempt to defuse it, prompting the evacuation of about 80,000 people and injuring more than 200 while leaving no fatalities.
- Police carried out a major evidence review after the 20th anniversary, arrested and interviewed one suspect at Birmingham Airport in September 2022 who was later released without charge, and identified a second suspect who died before he could be questioned.
- The bomb caused an estimated £700 million of damage, reshaped Manchester city centre through large‑scale rebuilding, and left many survivors physically injured and psychologically traumatised ahead of the 30th‑anniversary memorial events.
- Authorities said the file will remain eligible for review if new information appears, but investigators warned that decades of delay, loss of material and the death of potential suspects limit the prospect of fresh prosecutions.