New Cross Fire - The Inquests

The Inquests

The inquest into the deaths saw criticism of the police, although some witnesses admitted having lied in their statements. The coroner's summary for the jury was heavily directed towards suggesting the fire was accidental, and the jury returned an open verdict which implied agreement. The victims' families challenged the procedure and while the High Court agreed that the summing-up was inaccurate, it refused to overturn the verdict.

In 2002 a new action in the High Court led to an order for a second inquest, which was held in 2004, The second inquest also resulted in an open verdict, but in the intervening period more information had been discovered in police files and advances in forensic science had removed some of the uncertainty about how the fire had broken out. While there are still some who believe the fire to have been a result of arson, the belief that it was an accident is becoming increasingly accepted – although the criticisms of the initial police investigation and the public indifference are maintained.