The Reader: Terrorist inquest verdict was a waste of our money

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Remembered: commemorations for the anniversary of the London Bridge terror attack
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18 July 2019
WEST END FINAL

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Why is it necessary to waste so much money on an inquest to decide that the three extremist thugs who killed eight people and injured 48 others in the terrorist attack on London Bridge two years ago were “lawfully” killed?

What a farce this is.

The only people who gained from this two-year-long “investigation” are the lawyers involved — for whom these ridiculously unnecessary protracted proceedings are cash cows. Moreover, it is an appalling injustice that the officers who responded to the terrorist attack have had to wait two years to be told that they had acted correctly.

Surely it is common sense and should be taken as given that anyone killed in the course of committing a major crime was indeed killed “lawfully”?
Robert Readman

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Robert

Although the outcome of the London Bridge terrorists’ inquest may seem obvious, there are good public-interest reasons to hold a wide-ranging inquiry into an incident such as this one.

The painstakingly detailed examination of what took place that night does not end with the jury’s verdict — a coroner’s report will look at the lessons that could be learned. Can police and emergency services prepare better for the threat of a marauding terror attack? Should London Bridge have been equipped with more protective barriers? Was lethal force used appropriately by armed officers?

As we know from these inquests, the armed officers used their guns because the terrorists appeared to be wearing suicide vests. Had they been armed with just knives, the attackers could potentially have been stopped using Tasers.

I think branding these inquiries as “cash cows” is misguided, even though a lot money will have been spent on the investigation. Surely you could argue that it is money well spent if it helps us protect the country against terrorist attacks.

Tristan Kirk, Courts Correspondent

Don’t let tragedy stop e-scooters

Emily Hartridge’s fatal accident in Battersea was obviously a tragedy for her family and friends and they have my utmost sympathy. In spite of that, however, I cannot see how it justifies the reaction to e-scooters the accident has provoked.

In a city crying out for green and cheap modes of transport the electric scooter has to be part of the solution. I have used one to commute to work and ride to meetings for over two months now. Using back routes, towpaths, cycle lanes and very occasionally pavements (dismounting if busy with pedestrians) they are a brilliant way of getting about town quickly, cheaply and with no carbon footprint. It’s fine to legislate on helmets, cycle lanes and so on but do so quickly so everyone knows the score. Don’t ban them on the strength of one very sad accident.
Jeremy Isaac

If THEY are illegal to use on roads and pavements, why are they for sale? Let’s ban them from being sold until licensing can be achieved.
Paul Casey

Flats on TfL land hurts commuters

Theresa Villiers should be applauded for standing up for High Barnet’s residents and commuters. Selling public TfL land for conversion into 450 high-rise flats has nothing to do with new transport solutions. It’s about the Mayor trying to solve London’s housing crisis on the cheap by selling off bits of our irreplaceable transport network, a point made clear in TfL’s latest annual report.

Residents are tired of losing local amenities to political agendas, most recently our football club and park to an unnecessary new school. That’s why hundreds of us have signed a petition against the High Barnet station development — even those of us who walk to the station every day.
Simon Hollins

Time to float new Battleships game

It’s great that your Puzzles & Games pages include Battleships, a pencil and paper game that is at least 100 years old.

Two of the four types of warship in the game are long gone, with the last Royal Navy battleship scrapped nearly 60 years ago and the last cruiser nearly 40 years ago.

It is surely time that your game was updated to include an aircraft carrier (think of HMS Queen Elizabeth, our largest ship ever) and frigates rather than battleships and cruisers.
Lester May

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