Westminster Bridge terror attack relatives demand answers on UK failure to tackle web radicalisation

An inquest into the deaths of five people killed in the Westminster Bridge attack must look at Britain’s failure to tackle online extremism and prison radicalisation, families of those killed have said.

Relatives of those killed in Khalid Masood’s car and knife rampage said they could not understand why radical material was still freely available online, or why web giants needed to offer encrypted messaging services.

Gareth Patterson QC, representing the families, called for the coroner to examine the problems that are highlighted in "terrorist trial after terrorist trial" at the Old Bailey.

Khalid Masood, 52, was shot dead by police after he drove a rental car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge then fatally stabbed Pc Keith Palmer, 48, as he stood guard at the Palace of Westminster.

Kurt Cochran, a 54-year-old American tourist; Leslie Rhodes, a 75-year-old retired window cleaner; Aysha Frade, a 44-year-old teacher; and Andreea Cristea, a 31-year-old Romanian tourist, died during the 82 seconds attack.

A pre-inquest hearing at the Old Bailey on Monday heard there was “a high public interest in a comprehensive public investigation”.

Mr Patterson said problems repeatedly highlighted in terrorist trials included "the internet, end to end encryption, and radicalisation in prison and failure to get to grips with these problems which occur again and again".

Calling on the coroner to shed light on these problems, he said: "Terrorist trial after terrorist trial shows the same problems featuring in the evidence."

He went on: "Why is it that radical material continues to be freely available on the internet, we do not understand."

Mr Patterson said he also wanted the inquest to shed light on “how it was this attacker was able to get through those gates and how it was Pc Palmer was apparently stationed alone and unarmed with, it seems, inadequate body protection.

"We would positively encourage further investigation into those areas."

An inquest into the deaths of the victims will be heard before Coroner Lucraft at the Old Bailey from September 10 and last up to four weeks.

A separate jury inquest would follow immediately afterwards into the death of Masood, the court heard.

Mr Lucraft began proceedings offering his condolences to the families of the dead.

He said the events of March 22, 2017 had been “less than two minutes of high and terrible drama”.

Lawyers representing the Home Office said the issue of end-to-end encryption is too broad for an inquest and is a matter of 'legislation and social policy'.

The court heard the inquest would examine Masood's history and his movements before the attack. A "psychological autopsy" would provide a mental profile of him.

A further pre-inquest hearing is likely to be heard in June, ahead of the full inquest in the autumn.