Manchester attack: Aunt who 'heroically shielded' young niece during the blast has died

Kelly Brewster used her body to protect 11-year-old Hollie Booth and her mother Claire

Kelly Brewster pictured with her boyfriend Ian Winslow (Facebook )

An aunt who "heroically shielded" her young niece and sister from the Manchester attacker's suicidal bomb blast, has died.

Kelly Brewster used her body to protect 11-year-old Hollie Booth and her mother Claire as they left the Ariana Grande concert.

The 32-year-old’s uncle, Paul Dryhurst, said she had "heroically shielded" her 11-year-old niece from the blast in the foyer of Manchester Arena.

Ms Brewster's boyfriend Ian Winslow, confirmed her death in a Facebook post.

“Kelly really was the happiest she has ever been and we had so many things planned together," he wrote. "My daughter Phoebe will be absolutely devastated like we all are.”

Ms Brewster, who had travelled with her relatives from Sheffield had put down a deposit on a house with Mr Winslow the day before the attack, according to the MailOnline.

In a separated Facebook post, Hollie's grandmother Claire Booth, said that Ms Brewster had "died a hero".

Hollie reportedly broke both of her legs in the blast and her mother suffered a broken jaw.

A total of 22 people were killed and 59 injured, many of them children, in the attack, which was the worst on British soil since 56 people were killed in 2005's 7 July London bombings.

The suspected suicide bomber had been named as Salman Abedi, 22, a UK-born student of Libyan extraction.