Jury retires in Potters Bar inquest

Jurors at the inquest into the deaths of seven people killed in the Potters Bar train crash retired today to consider the evidence.

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 1245 King's Cross to King's Lynn train crashed as it reached Potters Bar, where it was not due to stop, at around 1pm.

The six passengers killed were in the fourth carriage which became detached and airborne.

The train was travelling at a legal speed - 98mph - and driver Gordon Gibson was cleared of any blame.

The inquest jurors have been told that experts concluded the "root cause" of the crash was the failure of a set of points south of Potters Bar station.

They have also heard that points near the station were "cracked" and "poorly" maintained.

Judge Michael Findlay Baker QC, sitting as a coroner, finished summing up evidence to the 11-strong jury earlier today after a seven-week hearing in Letchworth.

Conservative MP James Clappison, whose Hertsmere constituency includes Potters Bar, has criticised the "scandalous" eight-year wait for the inquest and said there should have been a public inquiry.