Coroner fears more rail accidents

A coroner has warned of more potential carnage on the railways as an inquest jury blamed a points failure for the deaths of seven people at Potters Bar, a town in Hertfordshire, just north of Greater London.

There were failures of inspection and/or maintenance of the points in the period before the crash, the jury in Letchworth concluded.

After a seven-week inquest, Judge Michael Findlay Baker QC promised to file a report expressing his concerns.

Six passengers - Austen Kark, Emma Knights, Jonael Schickler, Alexander Ogunwusi, Chia Hsin Lin and Chia Chin Wu - were killed in the crash in Hertfordshire on May 10, 2002. The seventh victim, Agnes Quinlivan, who was walking nearby, died after she was hit by debris.

More than 70 people were injured when the 12.45 King's Cross to King's Lynn train crashed as it reached Potters Bar, where it was not due to stop, at around 1 p.m.

Family members said the inquest failed to answer key questions surrounding the deaths of their loved ones as the coroner admitted their eight-year wait for answers was "indefensible".

The coroner said: "Rule 43 of the 1984 Coroners Rules provides, among other things, that, where the evidence in an inquest gives rise to a concern that circumstances creating a risk of other deaths will continue to exist, and in the coroner's opinion action should be taken to prevent the continuation of such circumstances, that the coroner has power to report those circumstances to a person who the coroner believes may have power to take such action. It is my intention to make a Rule 43 report and I hereby notify."