THE distraught mother of Olivia Campbell, the Bury teenager killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack, has urged the community to rally together and not to remember her daughter as a victim.

Charlotte Campbell was speaking at an emotional vigil in Bury tonight to remember all those killed in Monday’s bombing, but especially 15-year-old Olivia and Radcliffe man John Atkinson, aged 28.

Hundreds, possibly thousands, gathered in the glorious evening sunshine in and around Whitehead Gardens, near Bury Town Hall, to pay their respects.

Many of the crowd were young people, including dozens of pupils from Tottington High School, where Olivia was a pupil.

They heard speeches from community and religious leaders, and observed candle lighting and a minute’s silence.

Addressing the crowd, a tearful Ms Campbell said: “I can’t thank you enough for what you have done for us, for being here, for giving us your support, for sharing everything everywhere.

“This is such a hard time for us, but I had to come, something told me I had to come. I can see Olivia’s face there.

“As a family, we are united, we are standing strong.

"I ask her friends, strangers, relatives, to do the same.

"Please, stay together, don't let my daughter be a victim."

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The vigil also included emotional and defiant speeches from Bury Council leader Rishi Shori and the Mayor of Bury Dorothy Gunther.

There was also a prayer reading by the Rev Hugh Bearn, of St Anne’s Church, Tottington.

Cllr Shori said: “Two young people from our borough, Olivia Campbell and John Atkinson, tragically lost their lives – our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends.

“But don’t let them be defined by the manner of their death – they should be remembered for who they were, for the joy that they gave, the smiles they brought, the lives of those others that they touched.

“Let them be remembered for the lives they lived, albeit too short.”

He added the community’s thoughts and prayers were also with Adam Lawler, Olivia’s best friend who had been with her at Monday night’s Ariana Grande concert.

Adam, from Tottington and the same age as Olivia, suffered ‘life-changing’ injuries in the attack, and remains in hospital.

Cllr Shori added: “We can’t let the people who carried out this atrocity win.

“Don’t let them scare you, don’t let them fill your hearts with fear or hatred.

“Don’t let them divide our community as they seek to turn neighbour against neighbour, because that is what they want, and that is how they will win.

“We are better than that, we are stronger than that, we always have been, we always will be, because we are one borough and we stand together.

“We stand together with our shared values of love, compassion and respect of one another, and we know that love always beats hate.”

Cllr Gunther offered her thanks to all who came to offer support to the families and those affected by the attack.

She also thanked Greater Manchester’s emergency services for their bravery and professionalism.

She added: “But it wasn’t just emergency services that responded so brilliantly, it was the whole community.

“In Bury and in our neighbourhoods across Greater Manchester, taxi drivers, hotels or individuals offering whatever support they could.

“I cannot find words to adequately express my sorrow and I would like to pass on my sincere and heartfelt condolences to those effected by the tragic events of Monday evening.

“I particularly want to extend my absolute compassion and support to the families and friends of those from our borough, Olivia Campbell and John Atkinson.

“The people of Bury are with you.”

Cllr Gunther said she had spoken to representatives of Bury’s twin towns – Schorndorf in Germany and Tulle in France – who have extended their condolences to the people of the town.

Passionately, she said: “These people will never, ever, defeat our great nation.

“They will not defeat us because of the strength we have within our communities, the strength which is evident in our borough, as can be seen here this evening.”