Salman Abedi was known to police for a "relatively minor" criminal record but not for holding extremist views, said the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.

Ian Hopkins revealed the Manchester Arena bomber appeared on police logs in 2012 over offences of theft, receiving stolen goods and assault but he had not featured in the government's Prevent counter-terrorism strategy.

Mr Hopkins made the comments as he visited the studios of BBC Radio Manchester to take phone calls from listeners in an hour-long phone-in.

In reply to a question from Paul, of Bury, who asked "how can somebody slip through the net that's already on the radar to commit such an offence", Mr Hopkins said: "Obviously there has been a lot said in the media and what I would just say to people is just be careful of some of the reporting that is going on because obviously we don't know everything at this stage.

"So what I do know about Abedi, the terrorist, is that he was known to the police for some relatively minor matters, theft, receiving stolen goods, minor assault.

"Those were in 2012.

"You know there has been a lot of reporting and people commenting that he was reported to us on a number of occasions.

"You will have heard us talk about the Prevent programme which is about safeguarding and trying to deradicalise and deal with those at risk of being radicalised.

"Abedi was not known to the Prevent programme...(he) was not on any sort of Prevent agenda.

"Now of course we continue to check records going back and the Home Secretary announced yesterday that the security service are going to review what they knew as well.

"Obviously I am not privy to what the security service did or didn't know about that individual at this time.

"But from a police perspective that's what I knew."

Host Mike Sweeney asked him: "Just to clarify, the reports you have got were to do with behaviour that was more associated with criminal behaviour rather than reports about his viewpoints being extremist?"

Mr Hopkins said: "Absolutely, at this stage I have no other information other than what is on our system about his theft, receiving stolen goods, minor assault, and that was in 2012. Five years ago, so he would have been 16/17."

It has been reported MI5 has launched two urgent inquiries into whether it missed the danger posed by Abedi, amid allegations it was warned of his deadly intent.

The domestic security service is said to be investigating whether any glaring errors were made in the handling of intelligence before the attack.

A senior Whitehall source previously has said Abedi was a "former subject of interest" to the security services whose risk "remained subject to review".