BRUSSELS/LONDON – President Donald Trump says that “deeply troubling” leaks to US media about the Manchester suicide bombing would be investigated, after irate British police stopped sharing information with US agencies.

British Prime Minister Theresa May raised British concerns with Trump at a NATO summit in Brussels, telling him intelligence shared between their two countries had to remain secure, in a rare public show of dissatisfaction with Britain’s closest security ally.

“The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling,” Trump said in a statement released after he arrived in Brussels.

“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.”

Crowds look at the balloons, flowers and messages of condolence left for the victims of the Manchester Arena attack, in central Manchester, Britain May 25, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

The row comes as British police stepped up their investigation into a suspected network behind Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old British-born man with Libyan parents who blew himself up on Monday night at the Manchester Arena indoor venue after a concert by US singer Ariana Grande.

The singer’s fans are mostly children and teenagers and the explosion killed 22 people, ranging from an eight-year-old schoolgirl to parents who had come to pick up their children.

Police are holding eight people in custody in connection with the attack and bomb disposal units were helping in searches as officers raided properties across the city.

“I want to reassure people that the arrests that we have made are significant, and initial searches of premises have revealed items that we believe are very important to the investigation,” Manchester’s police chief Ian Hopkins said.

With the official threat level raised to “critical”, meaning a further attack could be imminent, troops have been deployed to free up police, and armed officers patrolled trains for the first time in Britain.

The state-run National Health Service said all 27 major trauma units in England had told staff to be prepared for a possible attack, ahead of the weekend and a public holiday on Monday.

Reuters