Family of Mark Duggan - whose death last summer led to widespread rioting across England - welcomes coroner ruling for an inquest into his death to be held early next year

The family of Mark Duggan have thanked a coroner for ruling that an inquest into his death must go ahead early next year even though the trial of a man alleged to have given a gun moments before he was shot dead has yet to conclude.

The Crown Prosecution Service called on coroner Andrew Walker to delay any inquest into Mr Duggan’s death until the retrial of Kevin Hutchinson-Foster. Last week, a jury at Snaresbrook crown court failed to reach a verdict in the trial of the 30-year-old Londoner who denies selling or transferring a prohibited firearm to Mr Duggan.

But the Coroner ruled that the family had waited long enough to find out why Mr Duggan was shot dead by police and said his inquest should begin on 28 January next year.

Speaking outside North London Coroner’s court today, his brother Shaun said: “It’s probably the first time we’ve left here with a bit of hope that finally we can get the truth out, everyone will hear the truth.”

The shooting of 29-year-old Mr Duggan in August 2011was the spark that lit that summer’s rioting in London. The police officers involved in the shooting have stressed that they were convinced their life was in danger when they fired their guns.