The bomber: Salman Abedi carried out suicide bombing ‘days after returning from Libya’

The Times reported the Manchester-born bomber spent three weeks in the war-torn north African nation before the attack on Manchester Arena, in which he was killed.

A friend told the paper: "He went to Libya three weeks ago and came back recently, like days ago."

Both Islamic State (IS), who claimed responsibility for the atrocity, and al Qaida have a presence in Libya, but the possibility remains that Abedi travelled to their heartland in Syria for training.

Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday night it was possible he had planned his deadly attack with a "wider group of individuals".

Born and raised in Manchester, Abedi grew up in a Muslim household - but matured into a university dropout with an appetite for bloodshed.

He was registered as living at Elsmore Road as recently as last year, where police raided a downstairs red-bricked semi-detached property on Tuesday.

Neighbours recalled an abrasive, tall, skinny young man who was little known in the neighbourhood, and often seen in traditional Islamic clothing.

He is thought to have lived at a number of addresses in the area, including one in Wilbraham Road, where plainclothes police made an arrest on Tuesday.

Abedi previously lived with his mother Samia Tabbal, father Ramadan Abedi and a brother, Ismail Abedi, who was born in Westminster in 1993.

He is thought to have a younger brother, Hashim Abedi, and a sister Jomana, whose Facebook profile suggests she is from Tripoli and lives in Manchester.

A family friend, who asked not to be named, said they were known to the Libyan community in the city and described Abedi as "normal".

He told the Press Association: "He was always friendly, nothing to suggest (he was violent). He was normal, to be honest."

Abedi is believed to have attended the Manchester Islamic Centre, also known as the Didsbury Mosque.

Here, he reportedly caught the attention of one imam whom he stared down during a sermon denouncing terrorism.

"Salman showed me a face of hate after that sermon," Mohammed Saeed told The Guardian of the 2015 encounter.

"He was showing me hatred."

Fawaz Haffar, a businessman and trustee of the mosque, said he "probably" did attend there, given his father used to perform the call to prayer and his brother Ismail attended as a volunteer until recently.

He said: "I see him (the father) praying but I don't know really who he is. I see him sometimes raising the azan, or call to prayer, but that was a long time ago.

"As far as I knew he went back to Libya when things were much better over there, to work over there.

"He was devout as far as I know. He had three sons, one of them is detained, one of them is a suspect and the third one I have no idea who he is."

He said the mosque is moderate, modern and liberal and that he is a member of an organisation liaising with police, the Independent Advisory Group.

Abedi studied business and management at Salford University two or three years ago, a source said, but dropped out of the course and did not complete his degree.

The source said Abedi began his course in 2014 and attended lectures for two years but then stopped going.

He would have graduated this summer.

He did not live in university accommodation, had not been in any trouble at the university and was not on any radar for pastoral or social care.

It is understood Abedi was not known to have participated in any clubs or societies during his time in higher education - and never met with the resident imam.

Dr Sam Grogan, the university's Pro-Vice Chancellor Student Experience, said: "All at the University of Salford are shocked and saddened by the events of last night. Our thoughts are with all those involved, their families and their friends."

Libyan refugee Abdalraouf Abdallah was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail last year after helping Muslim convert and former RAF Iraq War veteran Stephen Gray try to get to Syria.

Abdallah, wheelchair-bound after he was shot in Libya in 2011, lived in Westerling Way, Moss Side, a short drive from Abedi's Elsmore Road address.

Abdallah came to the UK with his family as refugees in 1993.

Gray, who lived at nearby Whitnall Street in the city, was jailed for five years for terror offences, after he twice attempted to join jihadis in Syria.

Abedi was a pupil at Burnage Academy For Boys between 2009 and 2011, the school said.

In a statement, it said: "We are a Manchester school. We feel the pain that Manchester feels. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Mancunians against terrorism in all its forms. Our deepest condolences go to all who have been affected by this outrage."

Update - 10.17am: Bomber Salman Abedi reportedly knew a fellow Mancunian who was once described as an "inspirational figure" for would-be jihadis.

Raphael Hostey left the UK in 2013 and became known as Abu Qaqa in his capacity as an IS fixer, encouraging other young Britons to join the terror group.

Describing him during the trial of another radicalised Briton who had hoped to travel to Syria, a judge said: "He has become an inspirational figure, encouraging others to travel and join in with Jihad."

Abedi may previously have been in contact with Hostey, it has been reported.

Hostey, who studied at John Moores University in Liverpool and was married with a child, was believed to have been killed in a drone strike in 2016.

He was part of a network of four young Muslims from the north-west who left Britain for Syria more than three years ago.

Mohammed Javeed and Khalil Raoufi, then aged 21 and 20 respectively, left together, while Nur Hassan, 21 at the time, departed the UK around a month later.

Following a second meeting of the Government's emergency committee Cobra on Tuesday Theresa May said "it is a possibility we cannot ignore that there is a wider group of individuals linked to this attack".

Update - 9.10am: The Manchester bomber Salman Abedi is believed to have travelled to Syria and had "proven" links with Islamic State, France's interior minister has said.

Gerard Collomb told French television that both British and French intelligence services had information that Abedi had been in Syria.

Mr Collomb said: "We only know what the British investigators have told us.

"He was a British national of Libyan origin, he grew up in Great Britain.

The first picture of #ManchesterAttack suspect Salman Abedi pic.twitter.com/Ij6eJCiIxJ

— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 24, 2017

"All of a sudden he travelled to Libya and then most likely to Syria, became radicalised and decided to commit this attack."

When Mr Collomb was asked whether there was a terrorist network, he replied: "We don't know yet (if there's a network). In any case, links with Daesh (Islamic State) are proven."

Ms Rudd confirmed Abedi had recently returned from a visit to Libya, where his parents are reported to now live, and said the nature of the attack suggested he may have had support.

"It was more sophisticated than some of the horrific events that we have seen in the past or in other parts of Europe so people are reasonably wondering whether he did this on his own," she told BBC Breakfast.

She said the deployment of troops would enable the police to step up security at various high profile events over the coming days, including the Great Manchester Run.

Ms Rudd urged the public to be vigilant but to carry on with life as normal, saying people should be "alert, not alarmed".

"We must not let these sorts of events stop our way of life," she said.

Earlier: Manchester bomber Salman Abedi was known to the intelligence services "up to a point", British Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said.

The British Government raised the terrorism threat level to "critical" - the highest possible rating - on Tuesday amid fears another attack is imminent.

Ms Rudd disclosed that the intelligence services had been aware of British-born Abedi, who is reported to have recently returned to the UK from a visit to Libya.

She told Sky News: "We do know that he was known up to a point to the intelligence services".

Ms Rudd refused to be drawn about the nature of the information held by the intelligence services about Abedi.

"I am sure that we will get more information about him over the next few days and the next few weeks," she said.

She said the threat level would remain at a heightened state while the investigation into the attack continued.

"It is an ongoing operation which means that the investigation is continuing to find leads," she said.

"So until we can be reassured that there is no continued activity around this operation, that is entirely safe around this operation, then it is right that we are at this heightened state of alert.

"It is operationally driven, it is intelligence-driven and we must make sure that we allow our counter-terrorist police, our police and our intelligence services to get on and do their job and this helps give them the space to do just that."