British police have arrested a "large part of the network" behind this week's Manchester suicide bombing but more arrests are likely, the country's top counterterrorism officer said on Friday.

Mark Rowley said "immense" progress had been made in the investigation into Salman Abedi, who killed 22 people, seven of them children, at a pop concert in Manchester on Monday.

"They're very significant, these arrests. We're very happy we've got our hands around some of the key players that we are concerned about. But as I say, there is still a little bit more to do," Rowley told broadcasters.