The front page of the Manchester Evening News on Saturday June 15, 1996 carries a startling headline, and an image that would travel around the world, and come to represent the events of that day in the memories of many.

Beneath the headline '206 injured as massive bomb blitzes crowded city centre', is a photograph that became the defining image of the bomb attack. A desperate mother, arms out in front of her, watches as an ambulance worker tends to her bloodied baby son.

Monday marks the 19th anniversary of the devastating Manchester bomb, which was detonated by the provisional IRA in the city centre causing £700 million (£1.2 billion as of 2015) of damage, and injuring two hundred and twelve people. There were fortunately no fatalities.

The baby in the picture, taken by photographer Carl Royle for the M.E.N, was a little boy called Sam Hughes. His mother, Lisa Hughes, dad Perry and sister Heidi were also there on the day of the bomb.

In a 2011 interview Lisa Hughes described the events of that day, telling how a cut on one of Sam’s wrist has missed a main artery by ‘a millimetre’. Sam was left with three scars on his hand.

Manchester bomb pictures

In 2006 Sam told the BBC: "I think I was lucky because I could have died that day and I thank God I didn't. When I look at the famous photograph I feel sad in lots of ways. I'm not really sure why I'm sad, because I can't remember anything but when I look at myself I feel as though it's somebody else and I feel sorry for that person. Sometimes, my mum's a bit over-protective but most of the time, she's all right!"

The article also recounts how the police officer in the image, Vanessa Thorpe, the photographer Carl and security guard Tony were invited to Sam's christening just months after the bombing; and how Sam returned to the city to open the Marks and Spencer building three years later 'signifying the city's rise from the ashes'.























This time last year, unseen photographs were released showing the absolute devastation and aftermath of the Arndale bomb in Manchester.

The 69 images show the devastation on the day and had been sorted in a fire service archive.

Over the years the Manchester Evening News has widely covered events on Manchester on that day. Above are some of the links to our comprehensive coverage, and you can view a gallery of the images.

Below is footage released by former GMP officer Ian Mack, showing the devastation left in the aftermath of the bomb: