Survivors of Manchester Arena bombing to sue conspiracy theorist who said terror attack was staged

Survivors of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack are planning to sue a conspiracy theorist who claimed that the deadly attack was staged.

Richard D Hall, a TV and online personality known for extreme conspiracy theories, accused the victims of the May 2017 atrocity of being 'crisis actors' and claimed that the 22 people who died in the attack moved abroad.

The conspiracy theorist - who has described events such as 9/11 and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann as a 'scam' - even went as far as to track down some of the 100 people injured to in a bid 'prove' that they were actors who had faked their injuries; many of which were life-changing.

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Now, a group of victims who Hall targeted in a bid to prove his theory - which also saw him claim that its instigator, Salman Abedi, 22, who died in the attack, was not responsible - are planning on suing him.

Neil Hudgell, who is representing the victims, told The Times: "Several of our clients have had this man on their doorstep, taking photographs, invading their privacy in the most intrusive way."

Hudgell said the group would pursue damages and restraining injunctions against Hall for alleged defamation and harassment.

They went on: "Martin [Hibbert, a survivor] and others are determined to stop this individual from continuing with his repugnant behaviour."

Hibbert, a football agent from Chorley, Lancashire, was paralysed from the waist below in the attack at the Ariana Grande concert after finding himself just 15 feet away from the deadly suicide bomb.

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He was attending the concert with his daughter, Eve, who was 14 at the time, and she was also left with life-changing injuries - having sustained a brain injury that saw her lose the use of an arm and a leg.

Hall filmed Eve in a bid to prove that her injuries were fake, and despite capturing footage of her in a wheelchair, claimed there was 'no evidence' that the had been harmed in the attack.

As reported by the MailOnline, he later apologised for his actions and released the following statement on his website: "My actions were motivated by a strong desire to search for the truth about what happened."

Hibbert said of Hall's actions: "I'm all for freedom of speech but it crosses the line when you're saying I'm an actor or I've not got a spinal cord injury or Eve's not disabled, she's not in a wheelchair."

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The dad explained that his daughter Eve was not only physically harmed in the Islamic extremist attack, but she now suffers from PTSD.

Hibbert added that Eve still hasn't recovered physically from the attack and still spends two days a week in hospital.

He told the Manchester Evening News of the conspiracy theorist: "He is profiting from other people's suffering and I won't have it."