Coronation Street star Jennie McAlpine pays her respects to the victims of Manchester terror attack during minute’s silence
CORONATION Street star Jennie McAlpine carried a bunch of flowers as she joined crowds gathered in Manchester city centre for a one-minute silence in tribute to the victims of Monday's terror attack.
The new mum wore sunglasses and linked arms with husband Chris Farr as they paid their respects in St Ann's Square.
Jennie, who plays factory worker Fizz Brown in the ITV soap, clutched a bunch of bright red blooms which she was presumably planning on leaving alongside the hundreds of other bouquets at the site.
She is the owner of nearby Annie's Restaurant, which sits just off the square.
Thousands gathered across the UK for the 60 seconds of silence at 11am in the aftermath of Monday's horror attack which followed Ariana Grande's gig at Manchester Arena.
Meanwhile Coronation Street actor Chris Harper says it was a 'real privilege' to be among such a 'beautiful and passionate crowd' as he joined the vigil.
In Manchester the focus fell on St Ann’s Square where floral tributes have been mounting since the atrocity on Monday night which cost 22 lives.
Huge crowds gathered there alongside Lord Mayor of Manchester Eddy Newman, council leader Sir Richard Leese, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Warren Smith.
Recent days have seen locals stream to the site to inspect the dedications to the dead and the injured and the messages of defiance from a city determined overcome the horror it has suffered.
Boxer Ricky Hatton this morning delivered a bouquet there.
Earlier today, Emmerdale star Gemma Atkinson told Good Morning Britain she had attended the "bittersweet" vigil for teenage victim Olivia Campbell in her home town Bury last night.
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Visiting the square, Israa Albu-Ghaddar, 46, from Whalley Range, Manchester told The Sun Online how she fled Iraq to find sanctuary in the west.
Accompanied by her three-year-old daughter Maria Alanie, she said: “I have been here for ten years now.
"What happened in Monday night is so painful for me.
"I escaped my country in 2006 to find peace and to see something like this happen here is devastating.
"People who commit acts like this are not Muslims.
"Mohammed never never said acts like this are justified.
"My heart goes out to all the parents of children and all the people affected by the bomb."
Israa works as a support teacher while her husband is a college lecturer.
Local lad Danny Zhong, 21, who is currently at uni in Southampton was one of many to have left a bouquet.
He said: "I'm not sure what i'm feeling right now.
"It's a bunch of mixed emotions from anger to sadness.
"It makes my heart beat heavier.
"As a community we have to stay strong to ensure these people didn't lose their lives for no reason."
A card on one bouquet reads: "Our hearts bleed for you. Nobody deserves this."
Another features the words: "Always in our prayers."
Another promised: "This is Manchester. You will not divide us".
This morning "vivacious" Scottish teenager Elids MacLeod, 14, was confirmed as another victim, as two more arrests have been made in Manchester.
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