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Investigation and inquest
On 3 July 2015 an investigation commenced into the death of 30 British nationals killed in Sousse on 26 June 2015. Their names are:
Christopher Bell
Sharon Bell
Lisa Burbidge
Scott Coakley
Stuart Cullen
Suzanne Davey
Christopher Dyer
Adrian Evans
Charles Evans
Angela Fisher
Raymond Fisher
Lisa Graham
William Graham
Philip Heathcote
Trudy Jones
Carly Lovett
Ann McQuire
James McQuire
Stephen Mellor
Joel Richards
John Schollery
Janet Stocker
John Stocker
Eileen Swannack
David Thompson
Denis Thwaites
Elaine Thwaites
John Welch
Bruce Wilkinson
Claire Windsass
The investigation concluded at the end of the Inquests on 28 February 2017. The conclusion of the Inquests was that each of the thirty victims was killed on the morning of 26 June 2015 by a terrorist armed with a highly vociferous firearm and improvised explosive devices, when that terrorist began shooting at tourists on the beach and inside the grounds of the Imperial Mahaba Hotel in Sousse in the Republic of Tunisia. Twenty-nine of the victims were killed as a result of gunshot wound or wounds when the terrorist opened fire. One victim, Stuart Cullen, was killed as a result of blast-generated fragments as well as being shot by the terrorist. Each victim sustained the fatal injuries in the hotel grounds, inside the hotel or on the hotel's beach
Circumstances of the death
The circumstances of the deaths are described in the narrative conclusion above.
The published report provides this section by reference to another part of the report.
Coroner’s concerns
(1) I heard evidence that prior to the attack neither TUI nor other travel companies had security advisors on their boards. The evidence of a TUI witness was that “security was a matter for the accommodation hoteliers and providers”. I am informed that TUI now have such an advisor. However I remain concerned that if other companies do not have similar security advisors at board level then hotels which they use will not be adequately protected.
(2) I heard evidence that prior to the attack, TUI's websites for Thomson and First Choice did not prominently display logos and links to the Government’s Travel Aware programme, which provides detailed travel advice for every country on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. I heard evidence that TUI have taken steps to change their website and promote literature to make these logos and links more prominent. I remain concerned that other companies which sell holidays, or sell flights and hotel accommodation separately, may not have taken such steps, as a result of which members of the public receive insufficient information about the risks of terrorist attacks in destination countries.