It has been reported that the homeless man who held a dying woman in his arms after the Manchester bombing attack has been charged with stealing a bank card from another woman who was injured in the attack.
Greater Manchester police have said in a statement that Chris Parker, 33, had been charged with two counts of theft and will appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates court today.
The police said the charges relate to a bank card stolen from the Manchester Arena on the night of the bombing.
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The news will come as shock to those who praised Parker for his bravery after the explosion.
Many were so touched by his and another homeless man’s efforts during the ordeal that they started to raise thousands of pounds to help them get off the street.
Chris Parker said had been in the foyer of the arena at the time of the attack, a place he usually frequented to beg for money.
After the explosion, he told the press about how he had held a dying woman in her 60s who had serious head and leg injuries.
“She passed away in my arms,” he said, adding, “I haven’t stopped crying.”
Chris was able to give reporters a detailed description of what happened on the tragic night.
“Everyone was piling out, all happy and everything else,” Mr Parker recalled.
“As people were coming out of the glass doors I heard a bang.
“Within a split second I saw a white flash, then smoke and then I heard screaming.
“It knocked me to the floor and then I got up and instead of running away my gut instinct was to run back and try and help.
“There were people lying on the floor everywhere.
“I saw a little girl… she had no legs. I wrapped her in one of the merchandise T-shirts and I said, ‘Where is your mum and daddy?’
“She said, ‘My dad is at work, my mum is up there’.”
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Sadly the girl’s mother had died.
Chris went on to explain that everywhere he looked there were nuts and bolts all over the floor and that there was a smell in the air that he would never forget.
After the attack, he was said to be in talks with a homeless charity to help him get back on his feet.