Lee Rigby's mother 'let down' by the MoD

Photo: Dave Thompson

Lyn Rigby

THE mother of murdered soldier Lee Rigby has criticised the Ministry of Defence, saying it failed to support her family.

Fusilier Rigby, 25, was stabbed to death outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, south London, in May 2013 while off duty.

On the fourth anniversary of his murder, his family was celebrating his life when Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb, killing 22 people at the end of an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena.

Lyn Rigby told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme she had received no contact from the MoD to "check we're OK" in the wake of the attack.

She said: "The support we had was from people we'd never met - the public.

"The Ministry of Defence ... barely support people who aren't listed as next of kin. "

She told the programme the London Bridge terror attack in June felt like a repeat of the murder of her son - who was also struck by a vehicle before being attacked with knives and a cleaver.

"I do get angry, but you can't give in to these people. You can't let them win," she said.

Fusilier Rigby's killers, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, were sentenced to life in prison in December 2013 after they were found guilty of his murder.