7/7 families to receive seperate body recovery reports

Families of the 52 people killed on July 7 will receive a separate report addressing complaints over how the bodies of victims were recovered and identified.

Officials working on behalf of Coroner Lady Justice Hallett are preparing the document after questions were raised by some of the bereaved relatives.

Hugo Keith QC, counsel for the inquest, said delays in identifying those killed in the four public transport explosions caused a "huge amount of anguish".

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He said they will be dealt with by a separate report examining a "number of concerns" raised in the aftermath of the 2005 suicide atrocities.

The report includes a statement from Scotland Yard Commander Nicholas Bracken, the world's leading expert on handling mass casualties as a result of terrorism, accidents and natural disasters.

Mr Keith said: "It is clear that the process by how loved ones were identified gave rise to a huge amount of anguish on the part of families."

He added: "That detailed report shows that the Metropolitan Police has endeavoured to explain how the complex disaster victim identification system works."

The barrister said the Met worked within "internationally agreed protocols" that control how bodies are removed, forensically searched and identified.

Mr Bracken has worked on tragedies including the Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield and Selby rail crashes as well as the 2005 south east Asian tsunami, the inquest heard.