Major Andy Burnham has slammed an offer from the Prime Minister to pay just £12m towards the £17m total bill arising from the Manchester Arena bombing.

The city believed the Government had promised to foot the entire £17m cost for policing, health and council services in the aftermath of May’s atrocity which claimed 22 lives and injured 512 others.

But now it has says it will pay only ‘reasonable costs’ of £12m.

Mr Burnham has slated the offer as ‘not good enough and we expect these costs to be paid in full’.

Last week Prime Minister Theresa May told Parliament ‘the majority’ of the cash originally promised would be paid but in a letter to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham she has only vowed to pay ‘all reasonable costs’.

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Mr Burnham declined to reveal the full contents of the letter but said it was ‘inconclusive’ and failed to give Manchester the backing it deserved.

He said he was told at the time ‘whatever you need, it’s there’, and added: “I think we can expect those words to be honoured.”

He continued: “We’re not trying it on here. We’re not sending a bill that’s inflated in any way. These are the costs. This week - rightly - the government ensure Kensington and Chelsea Council have had enough money to deal with the aftermath of the tragedy at Grenfell Tower. Of course, those victims should be supported but it’s not too much to ask that the same is done for those still suffering from the attack at Manchester Arena.”

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A Government spokesperson said: “We are absolutely committed to ensuring the victims of this terrible attack and Greater Manchester have all possible support.

“We have given strong assurance Manchester will receive £12m. That includes £3m being paid now and a further £1m being made available to support the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.

“This is an ongoing process and the Government stands by its commitment to provide all necessary further assistance.”

Speaking at a meeting of the ten leaders of Greater Manchester’s 10 authorities earlier, the deputy mayor, former Home Office minister Beverley Hughes, revealed that the PM appeared to get her numbers wrong in the letter.

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The bill for policing alone was £9.8m but the letter put the figure as £8.9m, the meeting was told.

She said: “There’s no commitment here. Very disappointingly and worryingly they’ve actually got the figures the wrong way round.

She questioned ‘how closely they are really looking at this’, and added: “It does not inspire confidence.”

The government change of heart has particularly angered local politicians as John Major’s Tory Government kept to a promise to help Manchester when it was devastated by the 1996 IRA bomb.