The younger brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has denied murdering 22 people who were killed while leaving an Ariane Grande concert in 2017.

Hashem Abedi, now 22, also pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder, encompassing all the injured victims, and conspiring with his brother to cause explosions.

Abedi had travelled to Libya before his brother Salman Abedi, 22, detonated an explosive vest on 22 May 2017, causing multiple deaths and injuring 260 people.

The defendant, who was raised in Manchester, was extradited from Libya in July after being detained there shortly after the bombing.

Abedi, of no fixed abode, appeared at the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday wearing a grey jumper and red T-shirt. He spoke only to enter not guilty pleas to all the charges.

He was remanded in custody at Belmarsh prison in south-east London and is due to go on trial on 13 January at the Old Bailey. The trial was due to start next month but has been delayed until the new year. It is expected to last between six and eight weeks.

It took six minutes for the charges to be read out in court and for Abedi to enter not guilty pleas to each one in turn.

He is accused of murdering Elaine McIver, 43; Saffie Roussos, eight; Sorrell Leczkowski, 14; Eilidh MacLeod, 14; Nell Jones, 14; Olivia Campbell-Hardy, 15; Megan Hurley, 15; Georgina Callander, 18; Chloe Rutherford,17; Liam Curry, 19; Courtney Boyle, 19; Philip Tron, 32; John Atkinson, 26; Martyn Hett, 29; Kelly Brewster, 32; Angelika Klis, 39; Marcin Klis, 42; Michelle Kiss, 45; Alison Howe, 45; Lisa Lees, 43; Wendy Fawell, 50; and Jane Tweddle, 51.

The defendant is accused of making both successful and unsuccessful attempts to buy bomb-making chemicals. It is also alleged that Abedi assisted in buying a Nissan Micra to store device components, and made detonator tubes for use in the explosive.

Meanwhile Home Secretary Priti Patel has confirmed that a public inquiry into the attacks will take place as soon as possible. She agreed a public inquiry should replace the inquest process, following last month’s ruling from Sir John Saunders, the coroner of the Manchester Arena inquest, certain highly sensitive intelligence would risk national security if it became public.

Patel said: “It is vital that those who survived or lost loved ones in the Manchester Arena attack get the answers that they need and that we learn the lessons, whatever they may be.

“This process is an important step for those affected as they look to move on from the attack and I know that they want answers as quickly as possible.”