The owner of a taxi firm that offered free rides to Ariana Grande fans caught up in the arena terror attack last month was among 147 Mancunians who walked a ‘catwalk of life’ in central Manchester yesterday.

Sam Arshad, who worked through the night to help stranded concert-goers, said he was channelling Beyoncé for his turn in the spotlight. He was joined by a Big Issue seller, a World War II veteran and a survivor of the Kosovo war in a unique fashion show that played out on a runway suspended above Piccadilly Gardens.

The project, titled What Is The City But the People?, was devised by Turner prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller. It aimed to capture a self-portrait of Manchester, a city that is still reeling from an explosion that left 22 dead.

The idea for the catwalk was devised long before the attack took place, but was all the more moving as a result; a Mancunian spirit of resilience and inclusiveness was alive and kicking at the event, which marked the beginning of Manchester international festival 2017.

Manchester catwalk of life swaps models for everyday heroes