Croydon tram crash: Fresh delays to inquest ‘unfair’

The granddaughter of a man killed in the Croydon tram crash has said fresh delays to an inquest are “unfair”.

Philip Logan was one of seven people who died in November 2016 when the tram derailed leaving 61 people injured.

The inquest is now due to start on 17 May 2021, having been postponed in October because of coronavirus.

Mr. Logan’s granddaughter Danielle Wynne said she could not understand why other inquiries had not been disrupted by the pandemic. Croydon tram crash

South London Coroner’s Service said the “sole reason” for delays was to “enable families, jurors, witnesses, and advocates to attend and participate in these hearings in a safe and Covid-secure way”.

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In a letter to MPs, Ms. Wynne questioned, for example, why inquests into the Manchester Arena terror attack and Grenfell Tower disaster had continued.”The reasoning for the delay seems particularly unfair given that the Grenfell Tower inquests and the Manchester Arena inquiry continued to proceed in areas that were similarly on tier two or tier three restrictions,” she wrote.”Also, both those inquests relate to tragedies that occurred after the Croydon tram disaster.”On 29 October, it was announced that the inquest would be proceeding on 16 November at the different venue of Fairfield Halls.”However, it was then announced that this would not be happening due to the national lockdown, again despite the courts being meant to keep running, and the inquest was further adjourned until spring 2021.”Once again, the Grenfell Tower and Manchester Arena inquiries are both still proceeding despite the lockdown.”Mrs. Wynne also cited concerns about Croydon Council declaring a Section 114 notice – imposing emergency spending restrictions. The Labour-run council is understood to have a financial black hole of £66m.Mrs Wynne added: “Although we have now been given a new start date of 17 May 2021.