Tunisia Attack Inquest: Coroner Slams 'Cowardly' Police Response

An Islamist gunman opened fire at a hotel in the resort in Sousse.
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The coroner at the inquest into deaths of 30 Britons in the Tunisia terror attack in June 2015 has condemned the “shambolic” and “cowardly” police response, according to reports. 

Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smiths said that he will rule that all 30 British people killed in the attack were “unlawfully killed”.

According to the BBC, the coroner said that the police response could and should have been effective.

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A plaque dedicated to victims is pictured on the beach of the Imperial Marhaba resort
Zohra Bensemra / Reuters

The inquest had heard how officers near the scene had run in the opposition direction to get more guns while Rezgui continued his rampage.

It took an hour before he was shot dead by police.

Families of some of the victims said that they were preparing legal action against tour operator TUI.

A total of 38 people were left dead when extremist Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire in Sousse on 26 June 26 2015.

A “neglect” conclusion was ruled out since the victims were not in a position of dependency, Sky News reported.

Andrew Ritchie QC, counsel to the families of the victims, said last week that Judge Loraine-Smith, who is sitting as coroner, should consider a “neglect” conclusion, arguing that there had been “gross neglect” on the part of the TUI travel company.

He told the inquest that the Tunisian government was taking the terror risk seriously, but TUI and the hotel operators did not.

The travel company has denied gross failure.