A WOMAN originally from Haworth who experienced the horror of the Manchester terrorist attack was among 150 people in central Keighley who paid their respects to those killed and injured.

Abigail Gill, 26, had only received tickets to see Ariana Grande's concert as a gift two days before the event.

Speaking shortly after a one minute's silence at the cenotaph in Keighley's Town Hall Square at 11am today, she said she felt "absolutely broken" by what had happened.

"It's just an unreal, surreal feeling," she added.

Mrs Gill, who now lives in Perth, Australia, but was in England for a two-week holiday to visit her Haworth family, said she had been in the main part of the arena waiting to leave when the suicide bomber detonated his explosives in the foyer.

"When we first heard it we thought it was gun shots, and we didn't dare go out," she said.

"All I can remember is holding my friend's hands and trying to keep her calm.

"When we did go out through the foyer we just went as fast as we could. There were people screaming and pushing, and it was horrible to see.

"I was begging parents who were with their young children to just leave and get their kids out, because they were standing still in shock. They couldn't move.

"The emergency services were on the scene straight away. Even when we were driving back, and had to go via Blackburn, we could see more police coming from all over the place.

"I am devastated for those families that bought tickets for their children thinking they'd have the time of their lives, only to have to leave without their children. It's horrific."

Mrs Gill, who has a five-year-old son who was not with her that night, condemned those who have been trying to use the bombing as a means of provoking hatred.

"There were people of all races outside the arena doing what they could to help," she said.

"Everyone was joining together and they were doing exactly the opposite of what the bombing had intended."

Among those who spoke at the cenotaph before and after today's silence were the town chaplain Reverend Dr Jonathan Pritchard, representatives from the Salvation Army, local mosques, Keighley Muslim Association, Bradford District Council, Keighley Town Council and West Yorkshire Police.

Labour and Conservative Parliamentary candidates for Keighley, John Grogan and Kris Hopkins, also addressed the gathering.

Rev Dr Pritchard said the Manchester bombing was an assault on ordinary people getting on with their ordinary lives.

"We say together 'no', we will not be provoked into anger and division," he said.

"We stand united in our grief and solidarity and instead say that this is a good society where we can thrive whatever our faith or lack of it."

His call for unity was backed by Zafar Iqbal of Keighley Muslim Association and lieutenant Ben Cotterill of the town's Salvation Army branch.

A visibly emotional Mr Hopkins spoke of how he had feared for the life of his daughter, who is a student at Manchester University.

And Mr Grogan said the fact that he and Mr Hopkins could stand side by side at this time shows the resilience of the country's democracy in the face of terrorism.

Keighley Central ward councillors Zafar Ali and Khadim Hussain attacked the ideology of those who use violence to deliberately wreck society and turn people against each other.

Abdul Shohid, vice president of Keighley's Shah Jalal Mosque, said: "A tragedy like this doesn't just affect one community, it affects us all.

"We don't want to see any family going through this. It is not Islam.

"Islam teaches us to treat our neighbours like they are our brothers."

Keighley town mayor Cllr Mohammed Nazam said: "There's nothing religious about killing another human being. We're all in this together."