Friend's Heart-Wrenching Tribute To Manchester Attack Victim Martyn Hett

25 May 2017, 17:25 | Updated: 25 May 2017, 17:33

The best friend of Manchester attack victim Martyn Hett has spoke of his devastation during an emotional tribute with LBC.

Alastair Bealby met the 29-year-old at secondary school and said the friendship had “made me who I am”.

Martyn, from Stockport, was one of the 22 people killed in Monday’s devastating blast which occurred moments after an Ariana Grande concert.

Alastair said at first he thought the news “was a prank” as Martyn had always joked about “disappearing into the Big Brother house”, but soon came to realise his loss.

Describing his best mate to LBC’s Rachel Venables, Alastair said: “Irrepressibly positive. I met him in my first year at secondary school and he really made me who I am.

“He brought me out of my shell, I was like a big, fat school kid at 12 and he showed me how to enjoy life, not worry so much about what people think and make the most of things.

“He was just completely irrepressible.”

Speaking of the memories he would cherish, Alastair added: “The holidays we went on, sharing stories of our first kisses, of our crazy adventures.

“We were terrible, completely rebellious to our teachers but they loved us both because he was just such a comedian.”