Hours after US President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered the Department of Justice to launch a "complete review" of leaks of the UK investigation into the Manchester Arena bombing by US intelligence agencies, British officials say the close working relationship has resumed.

"Having received fresh assurances, we are now working closely with our key partners," Mark Rowley, assistant commissioner for the Metropolitan Police Service, told the BBC.



Trump's statement came after public criticism from UK ministers and police of a series of damaging leaks said to have caused "distress" to families of victims.

The president connected the leaks on the Manchester bombing to other recent leaks from US intelligence – often about the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged Russian connections – about which he has often publicly complained.

"The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling. These leaks have been going on for a long time and my administration will get to the bottom of this," he said. "The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security.

"I am asking the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

"There is no relationship we cherish more than the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom."

Earlier in the day, UK prime minister Theresa May took the highly unusual step of announcing publicly that she would be warning Trump that information shared with the US must be "secure".

In a short statement on Thursday before she travelled to a NATO summit, May said the UK's threat level remained at critical, and that she would be discussing terrorism with other national leaders at the meeting of the defence alliance.

"Shortly I will be travelling to a NATO summit where I will be working with international colleagues on defeating terrorism," she said. "I will make clear to President Trump that intelligence that is shared between our law enforcement agencies must remain secure."

UK police and security services have expressed anger and frustration at a series of detailed leaks of information relating to the ongoing investigation into the Manchester bomber Salman Abedi and his possible associates. Eight people have been arrested so far and remain in custody.

US intelligence figures have leaked information, including the name of the bomber – while police were still asking media to keep this confidential – as well as details of his possible routes, his history, and even detailed photographs and information from the scene of the bombing. Officers say this has risked compromising the investigation.