Meridian inquest News

The inquest into the death of Boris Berezovsky has been opened and adjourned. There was a brief account of the circumstances around the discovery of the body.

He was found with material around his neck and also a piece of similar material tied around a shower nearby. There is no evidence of third party involvement. However, investigations are still ongoing, so this possibility cannot be eliminated.

Police are still waiting for toxicology reports and the house where he lived in Ascot remains 'under police control' as searches continue.

Berezovsky's body was formally identified this week by his eldest daughter.

• World
• Boris Berezovsky
• Inquest

An inquest is due to open into the death of Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky. He was found dead at his home in Ascot on Saturday.

• UK
• Boris Berezovsky
• Inquest

Hundreds of historic allegations of sex abuse will be reviewed following the failure of the authorities to properly investigate the Jimmy Savile scandal as well as the gang-led grooming of girls.

The Director of Public Prosecutions also set out how abuse cases will be dealt with in the future in England and Wales, to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

ITV News UK Editor Lucy Manning reports:

• UK
• child sex abuse
• Jimmy Savile

An inquest is to be resumed today into the death of a 14-year-old boy who died after he fell from a boat and was apparently hit by the propeller.

Charlie Hutton, was enjoying a ride on the boat driven by his father from Mudeford, Dorset, to The Needles landmark off the Isle of Wight when the accident happened last year.

It appears the boy and one of his friends fell into the sea. The friend suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.

A third boy, and the dead boy's father, Simon Hutton, who owned the rigid hull inflatable boat managed to stay on board.

Charlie, a talented hockey player whose ambition was to compete in the Olympics, was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital by Coastguard helicopter but couldn't be saved.

In a statement released through police after the incident, Charlie's parents, Simon and Gill Hutton, from Surrey, said:

"We are very sad to announce the death of our beautiful and very talented boy. Charlie was academically bright, an accomplished musician and an amazing field hockey player who had trained with the England under-15 team ...with the ambition of eventually playing for Britain in the Olympics in 2020.

"His effort, passion and self-belief would surely have taken him there. Our thanks go to all those who helped Charlie achieve such an incredible amount."

• UK
• boat death
• charlie hutton

The Chief Officer for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has read out a tribute statement at the start of the inquest into the deaths of firefighters Alan Bannon and Jim Shears. The men died in a fire at the Shirley Towers block of flats in Southampton in April 2010.

Chief Officer John Bonney said that the fire service had already made some changes in the way it tackles incidents in high rise buildings. He also pledged to make further changes if proceedings reveal they are necessary. The full transcript will follow.

"It is with great sadness that we are here today for the inquest into the deaths of our two brave colleagues James Shears and Alan Bannon. These two firefighters tragically lost their lives whilst fighting a fire in order to protect the lives of others.

"These are difficult days for the families of both Jim and Alan and their colleagues. Our thoughts continue to be with them at this time and will be throughout the inquest...

"The deaths of Jim and Alan have been a devastating loss. Neither I, nor the Service, will forget the courage and fortitude they showed on that night to defend the lives of others. This tragedy serves to remind us of the risks to which firefighters expose themselves day in and day out, every time they respond to an emergency call.

"The loss of our colleagues will forever remain in our thoughts but we feel that our best tribute to Jim and Alan has been to carry on providing the very best service that we can to the people of Hampshire... "

• UK
• Shirley Towers
• Inquest

A soldier has told an inquest that he didn't realise they were shooting at British forces, and if he'd known he would have stopped immediately.

But Corporal Jonathan Dolton told the court that no messages about the location of Lance Corporal Michael Pritchard's watch post came through over the radio.

Michael Pritchard, 22 and from Eastbourne, was shot by a British sniper while he was on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan.

• UK
• inquest

A British military policeman serving in Afghanistan was mistaken for an insurgent by fellow troops, because they didn't know his watch post was there.

Lance Corporal Michael Pritchard was killed by a British sniper when he was guarding a road in Helmand province in 2009.

A rifleman who fired warning shots on the night he died said he wasn't aware of a restricted firing line and radio communications between the bases was poor.

• UK
• inquest

An inquest aims to answer key questions behind the death of a Sussex soldier, asking if he was shot by a British sniper. Twenty year old Lance Corporal Michael Pritchard was from Eastbourne but based at Aldershot. He was shot in Afghanistan in 2009.

• UK
• Lance Corporal Michael Pritchard
• inquest