Doubts over Duggan inquest 'issues'

An inquest into the death of a man whose shooting triggered last summer's riots could be impossible because of "disclosure issues" surrounding police evidence, a watchdog has said.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) may have material "that it could not properly disclose to a coroner" over the decision by officers to shoot Mark Duggan, North London Coroners' Court was told.

A coroner's officer said a provisional date of January 28 has been set for proceedings - but only if the eight-week inquest is given the go-ahead during a review on October 23. An alternative could be a special inquiry where some evidence is heard behind closed-doors, it is understood.

An IPCC spokeswoman confirmed that issues relating to the submission of sensitive evidence were being discussed by the coroner.

Both the watchdog and Scotland Yard have admitted mishandling the way they dealt with Mr Duggan's family.

Initial reports that Mr Duggan shot at police were dismissed by ballistic tests which later found that a bullet which lodged itself in one officer's radio was police issue.

Mr Duggan was a passenger in a minicab when he was killed during a pre-planned operation involving officers from the Metropolitan Police Trident gun crime unit on August 4 in Tottenham, north London.

But police failed to formally notify the family of his death, giving his parents Pamela Duggan and Bruno Hall false hope.

Relatives subsequently complained about their treatment which was upheld by the IPCC.

The IPCC is still conducting a separate investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, with an investigation into his death failing to establish the sequence of events concerning a handgun found at the scene.