Statement From Greg Almond Following Conclusion Of Nottingham Public Inquiry Hearings

Following the conclusion of the hearings at the Nottingham Public Inquiry, Serious Injury Partner Greg Almond, who represents Nottingham Attacks survivors Wayne Birkett and Sharon Miller, has issued the following statement.

“Surviving victims, Wayne Birkett and Sharon Miller, are Nottingham residents – ordinary, hard-working people who were walking to work on the morning of the attacks. They sustained life‑changing physical and psychological injuries, but have sadly been overlooked by the public services meant to protect them.

The Inquiry has been a long and painful process for the victims and their families, but they have remained determined to play an active role in the proceedings.

The evidence heard during the Inquiry has confirmed that there was no single failure, but rather a series of systemic failures that occurred across multiple public bodies that resulted in devasting consequences for so many people. There were clear warning signs and missed opportunities, and poor coordination between agencies allowed critical gaps to develop.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, there was a failure to recognise and respond appropriately to serious injury, particularly the brain injury sustained by Wayne. We often found that the support that was given to the surviving victims did not match the scale or seriousness of what happened to them, and basic adjustments weren’t made to accommodate for their injuries.

A consistent and troubling theme that emerged following the attacks, is that the survivors were treated as an afterthought and their basic rights as victims were not properly delivered. From the outset, Wayne and Sharon asked for transparency, but too often they didn’t receive it. On several occasions, they learned distressing information from the media that should have been communicated to them sensitively by the police.

Moving forward, action must be taken to improve public safety. We must recognise that major cities outside London, the South East and Manchester need the same level of attention and investment, rather than being overlooked. Nottingham is a major city and must be properly funded and supported.

Survivors now want accountability, transparency, and meaningful change so this cannot happen again. We intend to meet with the Victims’ Commissioner, the Secretary of State for Health, Baroness Merron and the Home Secretary, to ensure the Government hears directly from the survivors.”

Read more about our work with the survivors of the Nottingham Attacks here.