IN PICTURES: 27th anniversary of the devastating IRA bomb - the day Manchester changed forever

It was a moment that changed Manchester forever.

On June 15, 1996, the IRA singled out our city to be victim of the biggest bomb that ever exploded on the British mainland.

There was no hint of what was to come as a traffic warden saw a van, with its hazard lights on, parked up on Corporation Street and slapped a ticket on the windscreen at 9.22am. They weren't to know a huge bomb was inside.

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Some time after 9.38am a man with an Irish accent called Granada TV, Sky News, Salford University, North Manchester General Hospital and the Garda police in Dublin to warn a bomb would go off in one hour. He gave the location and used a code word known to Special Branch.

On their CCTV camera in Bootle Street station, officers watched in horror as footage was relayed showing people pushing up against and sliding along the side of the van, awkwardly parked on one of the city’s busiest shopping streets.

Officers then began one of the most extraordinary policing operations the country has ever seen: the evacuation of 80,000 people.

It was a Herculean task, aided by the luck of having extra police on duty for the afternoon’s Euro 96 match between England and Scotland. Gradually, grudgingly, people began to move, turning into a flood as word spread that the scare was real. The police cordon extended out and out to a quarter of a mile, until there were no more officers to take it any further.

By 11.10am, the heart of Manchester city centre was deserted. Only one or two people were still within the exclusion zone, having somehow escaped knowledge of the evacuation.

At 11.17am, the blast from the 3,300lb bomb tore through the heart of Manchester and, within seconds, made an impact that would last for two decades.

Miraculously, nobody was killed by the blast that injured hundreds and left no building within half a mile unscathed, ultimately triggering a masterclass in regeneration that changed the face of the city centre.

27-years later, those involved have yet face justice for the devastation they unleashed on the city and its people. In 2022, a man was arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences in connection with the 1996 attack but was later released without charge.

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Earlier today, people took to the comments on a Manchester Evening News Facebook post marking the 27th anniversary of the attack, to share their memories.

Michael Stratton, said: "I was just at the edge of the police cordon opposite Victoria Station when it went off. 27-years ago, seems like yesterday. Awful day."

Joanna Edwards, said: "It destroyed my workplace, the shockwave was unreal!" But added: "We built back better and stronger."

Shirley Kraft remembered being caught up in the chaos, posting: "Very bad - had a burst ear drum, cut-down my shins and headaches for ages afterwards."

While Nance Robinson, posted: "I went shopping with my mum not long after. I was like it won't be that bad. You had to see it to truly appreciate the complete carnage."

The M.E.N. has put together a gallery of images showing the events of the day and the damage caused in the explosion's aftermath.

While the photographs don't show the traumatic moments immediately following the blast, they reveal the true extent of the damage caused, and what was lost 27-years ago today.

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Do these photos awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.