Tunisia security slammed and Foreign Office swamped with 250 calls from worried holidaymakers months BEFORE massacre – but travel advice didn’t change
The examination of hotels in January 2015 included the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba where extremist Seifeddine Rezgui massacred tourists - including 30 Brits
THE BRITISH Government slammed security at beach hotels in the Tunisian resort of Sousse just months before the terror attack - but travel advice for Brits was NOT changed.
A probe of hotels in January 2015 included the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba, where five months later Islamic State terrorist Seifeddine Rezgui massacred tourists - including 30 Britons and three Irish citizens, an inquest heard today.
However despite the report criticising hotel and beach security, travel advice designed to keep Brits safe abroad was not changed as there was no specific intelligence suggesting an attack.
It comes after the Foreign Office received more than 250 phonecalls from worried holidaymakers checking to see whether the country was safe to travel to.
The hearing into the deaths of the British victims heard that the report questioned the security at the beach entrances to some 30 hotels in three Mediterranean resorts.
Rezgui killed around 10 of his victims on the beach and then entered the upmarket hotel from the entrance on the sand.
Previously the resort had been targeted by a suicide bomber in October 2013, who killed only himself.
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At the Royal Courts of Justice in London this morning Andrew Richie QC, who represents 20 victims' families, read extracts from the heavily redacted report.
He said: "Given that the attack on the Riadh Palms Hotel in October 2013 was launched from the beach, particular attention was paid to the beach access points.
"It (the report) said 'Despite some good security infrastructure around the hotels and resorts there seems to be little in the way of effective security to prevent or respond to an attack (from the beach)'."
Mr Richie told the inquest the Government was aware that Islamic State-linked extremists had warned the terror group would target tourists in a video posted on YouTube in December 2014.
The inquests have previously heard that official guidance for tourists to Tunisia said there was a "high risk of terrorism" at the time of the Sousse attack.
This had not been updated to the highest level of advising against all travel despite a previous terror attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunisa in March 2015 that killed 24 people, including 20 tourists.
However Jane Marriott OBE, senior manager from the diplomatic office and head of the joint international counter terror unit, told the hearing that the government had no "prior knowledge" of the specific terror attack in June 2015.
Mrs Marriott added: “We needed to see increase in security and tourist security if we keep travel advice as it was.”
She added: “Bardo demonstrated the threat posed by extremist groups towards western interest in Tunisia.
“In the aftermath of Bardo it was considered possible that the perceived success of attack might inspire copy cat attacks.
“Threat to western interest more widely across North Africa was recognised at the time.”
The FCO was also aware if threats made to tourists in Tunisia in an Islamic State’s online terror manual.
She added: “In Dabiq 8 talks about Bardo attack calling it a success and also encourages further attacks it was Africa special edition focusing on what terrorists could do to cause mayhem in Africa.
“North Africa was touted as a new destination for aspirant jihadis.”
And yesterday the hearing was told how local cops deliberately stalled on their way to the five-star hotel.
Samantha Leek QC, counsel to the inquest, told the court that a report by Tunisian Judge Akremi had identified failings by local officers which could have ended the slaughter sooner.
Ms Leek said that an unnamed interior minister had told the judge some Tunisian security officers nearby had consciously slowed down their arrival.
She said: "He said the units that should have intervened in the events deliberately and unjustifiably slowed down to delay their arrival at the hotel.
"They had the ability to put an end to the attack before the police arrived but wasted a considerable amount of time in getting to the hotel."
The inquest continues.
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