An inquest into deaths of 30 Britons killed during terror attack in Tunisia, including a couple from Morden, has heard that security at beach hotels in Sousse had been criticised months before it happened.

An investigation in Tunisia also criticised police not responding quickly enough to the attack, the inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice has been told.

The attack, carried out by gunman Seifeddine Rezgui at the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse, led to the deaths of 38 tourists in June 2015.

Released CCTV footage shows Rezgui being dropped off by an unknown driver and then walking calmly down the beach with a gun concealed in a white parasol, before opening fire on sunbathing tourists and entering the hotel.

Grandparents Janet Stocker, 63, and her husband John, 74, had been lying on sun loungers close to the sea, and were among the first to be killed as Rezgui made his way through the resort.

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John and Janet Stocker

Mr Stocker was a retired printer and Mrs Stocker worked at the North Cheam branch of Sainsbury’s where colleagues raised money towards a memorial bench in October 2015. The couple had five children and 10 grandchildren.

From yesterday: Moment gunman opened fire on Tunisian beach killing 30 Brits including Morden couple shown to court

In January 2015, a report produced for the British Government questioned the security of beach entrances to 30 hotels across three Mediterranean resort.

Andrew Ritchie QC, who represents the families of 20 victims, read extracts from the report to the court, and said the report revealed that “despite some good security infrastructure around the hotels and resorts, there seems to be little in the way of effective security to prevent or respond to an attack [from the beach].”

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Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui walks across the beach

A suicide bomber had targeted the same resort in October 2013, launching his attack from the beach, but killed only himself. Mr Ritchie also told the inquest the Government knew of an Islamic State-linked video, posted on YouTube in December 2014, warning the terror group would target tourists.

The official travel guidance for Tunisia said there was a “high risk of terrorism” in June 2015, but did not advise against all travel.

Mr Ritchie added that Paul Thomson, a British man who survived the attack, had been assured it was “100 per cent” safe to go to Sousse by tour firm TUI, weeks after an earlier deadly attack on tourists in the capital Tunis.

The inquest also heard that a report by Tunisian Judge Akremi had identified failings from local police, including evidence from an unnamed interior minister who said some Tunisian security officers conscious slowed down their arrival.

Counsel to the inquest, Samantha Leek QC, said: “He said the units that should have intervened in the events deliberately and unjustifiably slowed down to delay their arrival at the hotel.

“They had the ability to put an end to the attack before the police arrived but wasted a considerable amount of time in getting to the hotel.”