Justin Tallis, AFP | A British Army soldier patrols with an armed police officer near the Houses of Parliament in central London on May 24

Britain’s interior minister has warned American officials after US intelligence apparently leaked details of the Manchester attack to the media before the British government was ready to release them to the public.

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Britain’s interior minister, Home Secretary Amber Rudd, called the leaks “irritating” and said she told Washington that such leaks "shouldn't happen again".

Three key details of the Manchester Arena attack appeared in US media before British authorities had released them publicly, including an initial death toll, the fact that the attack had been a suicide-bombing and the name of the suspect, Salman Abedi.

The press reports cited unnamed US "officials".

“Leading theory is Manchester was a suicide bomber, US senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation tells @ABC,” a journalist for the network tweeted.

CBS and NBC made Abedi’s name public on Tuesday morning US time.

BREAKING: Suspected Manchester bomber identified as 22-year-old Salmon Ramadan Abedi, according to official, @PeteWilliamsNBC reports — NBC News (@NBCNews) 23 mai 2017

Although British journalists also had Abedi’s name at the time, the UK government and the Greater Manchester police refused to confirm it until hours after his name was reported in the US press. The British government had said earlier in the day that it might withhold the suspect’s name because the investigation was continuing.

Rudd emphasised that it is important to control the flow of information regarding any ongoing investigation to ensure "operational integrity”.

"The British police have been very clear that they want to control the flow of information in order to protect operational integrity – the element of surprise,” she told BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme.

"So it is irritating when it gets released from other sources and I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again."

You can listen to the full interview with the home secretary here ???? https://t.co/WSdkD4zP3c — BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) May 24, 2017

But Rudd downplayed the effect the leaks will likely have on the current investigation into the Manchester attack. Asked whether the American indiscretion had compromised the inquiry, she said: "I wouldn’t go that far. But I can say they are perfectly clear about the situation and that it shouldn’t happen again."

Intelligence is routinely shared between Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States under the UKUSA Agreement, which launched the so-called Five Eyes programme.

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