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Luton Town’s captain Tom Lockyer says he ‘literally died’ when heart stopped for nearly three minutes | UK News

Luton captain Tom Lockyer has said he “literally died” when his heart stopped for nearly three minutes on the pitch.

The Welshman, 29, collapsed in the 59th minute against Bournemouth on 16 December, with his father and seven-month pregnant girlfriend watching on as the game was called off.

Lockyer was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator after he was in hospital for five days, just months after also collapsing – but returning – against Coventry in May last year.

Speaking to Sky Sports News for the first time at length since December, he said his heart stopped beating for two minutes and 40 seconds and isn’t sure he will ever play again.

But the ordeal was “hardest” on his family.

“My mum was at home listening on the radio, she went off to make a cup of tea after Bournemouth scored, and when she came back my brother had turned the radio off,” he said.

“She asked ‘why’, and he had to say to her that Tom has gone down off the ball again.

“This is the bigger picture that people don’t see and that is the hardest part to deal with. I am not going to lie, it has been a tough couple of months.”

Fans stand with a banner for Tom Lockyer. Pic: PA
Image:
Fans stand with a banner for Tom Lockyer. Pic: PA

Recalling what he could remember from the collapse against Bournemouth, he said it was “just a normal day”, which is “the most worrying thing” as he felt “completely fine”.

He said he was running towards the halfway line when he began to feel light-headed.

He then woke up to paramedics and “knew instantly” it was different to his collapse against Coventry.

“I have been looking for answers since but I have not been able to find any because it was just another day at the office,” he said.

“Last time it felt like I woke up from a dream, and this time I woke up from nothingness.

“I could see there was more panic and I was a bit disorientated. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t move. I was trying to work out what was happening, and I remember thinking, ‘I could be dying here’.

“It was a surreal thought to have, not being able to respond, and you can see the panic going on.”

His voice cracked as he continued: “I could feel them put the drip in my arm and it was a hard mix of emotions.

“Eventually I came round and I was able to speak and to respond. When I felt okay, it was then a relief I was alive.”

“I literally died, but I have been numb to the whole thing since,” he added.

Lockyer had an emotional reunion with his teammates at the Luton’s training ground last month – his first visit since he collapsed.

The defender hopes to return to top-flight football, but said he will have further tests before he has an answer.

Luton Town manager Rob Edwards enters the field of play as his player Tom Lockyer receives treatment on the pitch during the Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth. Picture date: Saturday December 16, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Bournemouth. Photo credit should read: Steven Paston/PA Wire..RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
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Tom Lockyer receiving treatment on the pitch during the match against Bournemouth. Pic: PA

Speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Manchester United, he said: “It is out of my hands [if he plays again].

“I am going to be dictated to by the medical staff and specialists. If there is a chance I could play again – and I am not going to do anything against medical advice – then I would love to.

“But it is far too early so say. There are tests that have to happen in the background. But I wouldn’t write it off yet.

Read more:
Tom Lockyer thanks ‘heroes’ who saved his life

“If I am not allowed to play again then I can say I captained Luton in the Premier League and I have scored a Premier League goal.

“I am very fortunate that I have had high moments in my career and scoring a Premier League goal is something you dream of as a kid.

“I am incredibly grateful to be alive. I have the device fitted now, and I almost feel invincible.”

Tom Lockyer: Luton Town captain has heart device fitted before discharge from hospital following cardiac arrest collapse | UK News

Premier League footballer Tom Lockyer has been discharged from hospital after having a device that can restart his heart fitted by doctors following his collapse on the pitch during a match.

The Luton Town captain suffered a cardiac arrest during the club’s match against Bournemouth on Saturday.

The club confirmed in a statement that Lockyer was discharged from hospital on Wednesday.

He has undergone a “successful procedure” to fit an implantable cardioverter defibrillator device.

It was the second time the 29-year-old centre-back collapsed during a game, after a previous incident during Luton’s play-off final win on 28 May.

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Grace Dent says her ‘heart is broken’ after leaving I’m A Celebrity jungle ‘on medical grounds’ | Ents & Arts News

Grace Dent has told her fellow campmates that her “heart is broken” after leaving the set of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here early.

The restaurant critic, 50, was spotted at Brisbane Airport on Monday after exiting the ITV reality show early “on medical grounds“.

She had been due to face the bushtucker trial, Down The Tubes, in Monday night’s instalment.

Instead, Hollyoaks actor Nick Pickard read out a statement to the camp in which Dent announced that she was leaving early.

“My dear campmates, I’m so sorry to let you down. I have left the camp for medical reasons,” she said in her statement.

“My heart is broken, I have loved and enjoyed getting to know you all. You’ve held me up and it’s been a pleasure being your friend through this experience.

“Leaving you all at this stage will be one of the saddest things in my life. I love you all. Your friend, Miss Grace Dent.”

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “She has been a great campmate and will be missed by her fellow celebrities and viewers alike.”

Dent had said, before facing the Touchdown Of Terror trial, that she was struggling in the jungle.

The MasterChef star told campmate Josie Gibson last week: “I’ve had enough. I’ve completely had enough. I just want to go home.”

Dent, who has written restaurant reviews for The Guardian and Evening Standard, had been due to face the next trial, named Down The Tubes, with This Morning announcer Gibson.

EastEnders star Danielle Harold took her place in the trial as she had the next highest amount of votes from the public.

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Also in the episode, it was revealed that TV star Sam Thompson had been voted camp leader. He chose JLS star Marvin Humes as his deputy.

Among this year’s I’m A Celebrity campmates are the controversial politician Nigel Farage, First Dates star Fred Sirieix and Britney Spears’ sister Jamie Lynn.

The show has so far attracted a lower audience than last year’s series, which featured former health secretary Matt Hancock.

This year’s launch was watched by seven million people in its first week – down from a consolidated audience of nearly 12 million last year.

Ahead of entering the jungle this year, Dent said: “Everything is filling me with a real sense of dread. But I am especially dreading being really hungry because I tend to eat four or five posh meals out a week because I am a restaurant critic.”

She said she signed up for the show after “a really difficult time over the last four or five years”.

Residents near airports may be slightly more at risk from symptoms linked to heart problems, study suggests | UK News

People living near to an airport may be slightly more susceptible to symptoms linked to heart problems, a university study has claimed.

A study conduced by Imperial College London looked at hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases among residents whose homes are under Heathrow Airport’s flight paths.

They analysed research on figures recorded between 2014 and 2018.

According to a paper published in online journal Environment International, researchers found that there was a “small increase of risk” of being admitted to hospital for people who had experienced louder noise during the previous night.

It was revealed that men over the age of 65 were particularly affected.

So, what else did the study find?

The team of researchers found that aircraft noise can disrupt sleep and raise blood pressure as well as stress hormone levels – which are factors linked to heart problems.

However, evidence of an association between aircraft noise and deaths due to a heart attack was limited, although this could be attributed to a small sample size.

Researchers have said, the findings provide “potential” evidence that aircraft noise in the late evening and night-time may be associated with increased risk cardiovascular hospitalisations and deaths in the population living within the Heathrow Airport.

But more research is needed to understand the impact of aircraft noises.

The team added: “This is consistent with a mechanism of action via disturbed sleep and has implications for developing respite measures for the communities situated near busy airports.

“Further research into these potential respite mechanisms and behavioural interventions, including runway rotation and noise insulation initiatives, is needed to understand how best to translate the findings from this study into action.”

Read more from Sky News:
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Aircraft noise has been an issue during Heathrow’s long-running bid to gain permission to build a third runway.

Modern planes are a lot more quieter than previous models, but there are concerns that an increase in flights will cause more disturbance.

Heathrow has said reducing the impact of noise from flights is a vital part of its sustainability strategy.

Airport bosses have also said since 2006, they have reduced its noise footprint – the area where residents are exposed to aircraft noise.

Partygate inquiry unlikely to drive stake through the heart of Boris Johnson’s political career | Politics News

Love him or hate him, everyone knows that Boris Johnson thrives on being the centre of attention.

Next Wednesday afternoon from 2pm the former prime minister will be back in the spotlight at Westminster for a high stakes appearance, which is bound to be a popcorn moment for spectators.

Live on television, members of the cross-party privileges committee will question Mr Johnson for up to four hours on whether he deliberately lied when he told the House of Commons that he had no knowledge of rule-breaking parties in Number 10 during the COVID emergency period.

If the MPs conclude that he is guilty, they will recommend punishment which could lead to him losing his parliamentary seat representing Uxbridge – a calamity which would surely end the political career of a man who would be prime minister again.

Technically the MPs have to decide whether Mr Johnson committed contempt of the House by lying to it about the parties, and not correcting his words subsequently.

It is a trial by his peers.

First, the seven MPs on the privileges committee. Then, if punishment is recommended, the whole House of Commons will say whether to implement it.

The committee’s work has already caused ructions at Westminster.

Chris Bryant, the senior Labour MP who chaired it, stood aside, or rather “recused” himself as the jargon has it, because of previous outspoken criticisms of Mr Johnson.

MPs were reluctant to let the ranking Tory, the maverick Brexiteer Sir Bernard Jenkin take over, so Harriet Harman, the former Labour deputy leader was co-opted to take the chair.

Meanwhile two Conservatives on the committee, first time MP Andy Carter and Alberto Costa, quit minor posts in government to keep their place on it. The other members are Allan Dorans (SNP), Yvonne Fovargue (Labour), and Sir Charles Walker (Conservative). Four Conservatives gives them the majority on the seven member committee.

Taxpayers are paying for Mr Johnson to hire his own lawyers on behalf of the government.

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Sky’s political correspondent Liz Bates explains everything you need to know about the partygate inquiry

Strong circumstantial case against Mr Johnson

David Pannick, an independent member of the House of Lords, duly produced opinions that the committee’s actions are “very unsatisfactory” and “fundamentally flawed”.

His main argument was that the crux should be not whether Mr Johnson misled the House but whether there was “intention to mislead”.

Lord Pannick KC’s other clients include Sir Philip Green, Shamima Begum and Manchester City FC.

MPs are lawmakers who regulate their own affairs and they set aside Lord Pannick’s argument.

Boris Johnson pictured toasting staff in Downing Street during lockdown
Image:
Boris Johnson pictured toasting staff in Downing Street during lockdown
Boris Johnson at a gathering on 14 January 2021
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Boris Johnson at a gathering on 14 January 2021

Nonetheless, Mr Johnson’s intentions in making the statements he did will be flashpoints during his grilling next week.

There is a strong circumstantial case against Mr Johnson. He repeatedly denied any knowledge of parties and rule breaking during the COVID restriction periods in 2020 and 2021, even though he had announced many of the regulations himself.

He subsequently accepted a fixed penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police, and paid a fine for attending a party on his birthday.

Like the Sue Gray report into partygate before it, the pre-hearing interim report from the privileges committee this month cites “evidence that a culture of drinking in the workplace in some parts of No 10 continued after the COVID restrictions began” including “birthday parties and leaving parties for officials”.

The committee’s report contains photographs which show more booze and crowding than the pictures released by Ms Gray.

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Top civil servant warned Boris Johnson was ‘distrusted figure’ during COVID pandemic

Yet when Mr Johnson was questioned about the parties in the Commons after the stories broke in the media in the closing months of 2021 he repeatedly denied them.

On 1 December 2021 he told the House: “All guidance was followed completely in Number 10.”

On 8 December he stated: “The guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times… I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and no COVID rules were broken.”

Committee wants answers on four points

The committee’s interim report amounts to a rap sheet he will face.

The committee wants answers on four points.

Did Mr Johnson mislead, i.e. lie, when he said “No rules were broken” and that he had “no knowledge of gatherings”?

Was he truthful when he said he needed to rely on assurances of officials that no rules had been broken and that he needed to wait for Sue Gray’s report to find out whether rule-breaking parties had taken place?

The committee has taken written evidence from 23 people involved and has already concluded “breaches of [COVID] guidance would have been obvious to Mr Johnson at the time he was at the gatherings”.

Lying is a very delicate subject at Westminster. Many members of the public may think it is what politicians do all the time. But accusations of lying are officially designated “unparliamentary language”, and no MP is allowed to directly accuse another of doing so.

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The assumption is that no “honourable or right honourable” member would lie and that if they inadvertently tell a falsehood, they will correct the official record.

In recent times, government ministers have corrected their statements in Hansard more than one hundred times a year.

Former PM will be playing to the dwindling band of Boris-loyalist politicians

No one knows how tough the questioning will be on Wednesday or how Mr Johnson will react to it.

His lifelong tactic when in a tight spot is to flatter his audience and try to make a performative joke of it.

As his admiring father Stanley reminisced it worked in the school play at Eton: “Boris was playing the title role. It was fairly obvious that he hadn’t learnt the part, but he winged it splendidly, inventing on the hoof a sequence of nearly perfect Shakespearean pentameters.”

Mr Johnson’s appearances before more demanding audiences have gone less well.

Asked if he was a habitual liar, he could only bluster “I don’t agree with that conclusion”.

He was forced to stand down as prime minister last summer shortly after a member of the Liaison Committee of MPs told him bluntly “the game is up”.

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Boris Johnson faces a political battle over partygate as MPs said evidence suggests breaches over COVID rules would have been obvious to the then prime minister

Sir Max Hastings, who boosted Mr Johnson when he was working for him at The Daily Telegraph now abominates him.

He has remarked: “Those who know Boris best like him least.”

Mr Johnson has never been “a House of Commons man” but MPs cannot fail to know him well by now.

However he is treated by the committee, Mr Johnson will be playing to the dwindling band of Boris-loyalist politicians and party members and his champions in the Tory media, who are already claiming that he was brought down unjustly by a partisan left-wing conspiracy.

Unlike Mr Johnson, who catastrophically tried to use the whip on his MPs to save his friend Owen Patterson from a 30-day suspension for corruption, Rishi Sunak has said he will not interfere.

Mr Johnson’s fate may well hang on which way Conservative MPs jump, on the committee and afterwards in the whole House.

The psephologist Peter Kellner has a single word of advice for those Conservatives hankering to bring back Boris: “don’t” – in their own interest.

Inquiry unlikely drive the stake through the heart of Mr Johnson’s political career

Analysing an opinion poll by Delta, Mr Kellner points out that Mr Johnson is more unpopular with the public than either Mr Sunak or Sir Keir Starmer, and just as disliked as the lowly ranked Conservative Party, meaning he would bring no bounce with him.

All the same, the chances must be low that the lying inquiry will finally drive the stake through the heart of Mr Johnson’s political career via the Recall of MPs Act, which was introduced by David Cameron.

First the committee would have to recommend a suspension of more than 10 sitting days as punishment, then it would need to be endorsed by a majority in the House. Only then would a recall petition have to take place in his constituency. Next, 10% of the electorate in Uxbridge would have to sign it, to kick him out and force a by-election.

That sequence is a tall order.

The betting has to be that “the greased piglet”, as David Cameron called him, will slip past his political slaughtermen again and carry on drawing attention to himself.

Gary Lineker row ‘goes straight to heart’ of BBC’s reputation, Ofcom boss says | UK News

The BBC row with Gary Lineker “goes straight to the heart” of the broadcaster’s wider reputation in news coverage, the head of Ofcom has said.

Dame Melanie Dawes, the chief executive of the broadcasting regulator, said that “it hasn’t been a great weekend for BBC sports fans” after the BBC was forced to pull much of its sports coverage amid the row with Lineker.

Appearing before the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, she added: “I think we’re all glad to see that hopefully the BBC is moving beyond this episode.”

She said: “An episode like this goes straight to the heart of that wider reputation on their news and current affairs coverage.

“The question for the BBC on their social media guidelines is a question for their board, not something in which Ofcom has a role.

“I think they need to look at those guidelines and see if they’re right in a world of increased use of social media, and look at what they ask in terms of their contributors as well as their staff.”

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In full: BBC ‘sorry’ over Lineker

She said she thinks there needs to be “very strict rules for news presenters and that’s what the guidelines have”, adding that “beyond that questions of freedom of expression do become relevant” and BBC needs to “work out how to draw that line”.

The corporation has now agreed to allow Lineker back on air this weekend after it suspended the Match of the Day presenter, 62, for his tweets criticising the government’s migration policy.

On Monday, Lineker tweeted that he was “delighted we have navigated a way through this” and said he “cannot wait” to get back on the show.

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‘This should be about the refugees – not Gary Lineker’

The BBC’s move to suspend the presenter triggered pundits, presenters and reporters – including Ian Wright to join a walkout in solidarity with him over the weekend as others criticised the broadcaster for its response.

Former BBC journalist Jon Sopel drew a comparison with the corporation’s chairman Richard Sharp, who has been involved in a cronyism row over accusations he helped Boris Johnson secure an £800,000 loan facility.

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What are the BBC impartiality rules?

The BBC later apologised and reinstated Lineker, while director-general Tim Davie announced a review of social media guidelines at the broadcaster.

The row over impartiality erupted after Lineker compared the language used to launch a new government asylum seeker policy with that of 1930s Nazi Germany on Twitter.

Asake says his ‘heart is with those who were injured’ after apparent crowd crush at Brixton concert | UK News

Singer-songwriter Asake has said his “heart is with those who were injured” after an apparent crowd crush at his concert at the O2 Academy in Brixton.

Four people are in a critical condition, the Metropolitan Police said, after eight were taken to hospital by ambulance on Thursday night.

The Nigerian Afrobeats artist has said in a statement on Instagram: “My heart is with those who were injured last night and caused any form of discomfort. I pray you get well soonest.

“I am also in the process of reaching out to individuals.

“I still do not have the full brief from the venue management themselves as to what led to the disruption at the entrance of the Brixton Academy, but we are thankful that all was peaceful at the end.

“For my people who enjoyed the beginning of my performance, I am sorry that it was cut short.

“Thank you for your unbelievable love, London. I love you too much! I’m looking forward to seeing you again in a bit!”

Asake, whose real name is Ahmed Ololade, was recently nominated for BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2023 award, for artists breaking through in the UK.

Lambeth police and other emergency services were alerted to the scene on Stockwell Road after 9.30pm following reports of injuries after “a large crowd attempted to gain entry without tickets”.

Brixton O2 Academy
Image:
Brixton O2 Academy

Injuries were believed to have been caused by “crushing”, according to Scotland Yard police officers. No arrests have been made.

Metropolitan Police Gold Commander Ade Adelekan urged people to “be sensible about what they share” on social media and “not to post material that will be upsetting to those affected by this incident”.

He added that the officers who used force “know they have to be accountable for their actions”, adding that the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards will look at all material, including body-worn video footage from those at the scene.

COVID-19: Girl, 15, died after deteriorating ‘astonishingly quickly’ from rare heart inflammation caused by virus | UK News

A 15-year-old schoolgirl died after detonating “astonishingly quickly” from a rare case of heart inflammation caused by coronavirus, an inquest has heard.

Jorja Halliday, from Portsmouth, started to feel unwell in the early hours of 24 September 2021 and tested positive for COVID later that day.

She had a telephone appointment with her GP on 27 September who prescribed her antibiotics for her sore throat – as she had a history of tonsillitis.

The following day, however, her condition worsened and she started to vomit.

She was given another appointment on 28 September, which revealed her heartrate was 147 beats a minute and prompted the doctor to refer her to hospital as an emergency.

Her mother Tracey Halliday drove her to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth as the wait for an ambulance would have been too long, the inquest heard.

There she was placed in a medically induced coma so she could be transferred for specialist care in Southampton – but she died five hours later.

Dr Nicholas Tarmey, the consultant in intensive care medicine who treated Jorja, said she was “really pale”.

“Apart from the colour, she looked frightened, not just of the situation, she also had a sense something was seriously wrong with her body,” he told the coroner.

“I think it comes from the amount of adrenaline being released by the body to boost blood pressure that gave her the anxious, frightened feeling.

“Her body was struggling to cope and she was deteriorating very quickly and she looked confused and agitated. There are not many illnesses that lead to a deterioration as quickly as that and it is horrible.”

Consultant hadn’t seen any other child with same issue

Myocarditis, a rare inflammation of the heart, has been identified as an extremely uncommon side effect of the COVID vaccine.

Dr Tarmey added: “We presume it was the COVID that was the virus causing the inflammation of the heart muscle.

“I haven’t treated any other children with COVID as the cause of myocarditis, that is in keeping with how rare it is.”

The medics could not conclude that a coronavirus vaccine would have improved Jorja’s chances of survival.

Jorja, who was a keen kickboxer, had been due to get the COVID vaccine the day she died.

Consultant paediatric pathologist Samantha Holden gave a cause of death of acute myocarditis associated with COVID-19 infection.

Coroner Sarah Whitby gave a verdict of natural causes.

Teenager was ‘very active’

Mrs Halliday said after the hearing that the possibility the jab could have saved her daughter will always haunt her.

“It’s always going to be a question in my mind, would the outcome have been different.

“It’s heart-wrenching because your kids are always meant to outlive you, and that’s the one thing I can’t get over.”

Paying tribute to her, she added: “She was a loving girl and she had lots of friends.

“She was very active, she liked to go out and spend time with her friends and loved spending time with her brothers and sisters.

“Growing up she turned into a beautiful young lady, always wanting to help others, always there for everybody.”

Our grief must be at ‘heart of COVID inquiry’, families of victims say | UK News

Families of COVID-19 victims have welcomed the recognition of their “devastating” bereavement at the opening of the coronavirus inquiry, but called for this to be reflected in the process.

As the inquiry began, its chair pledged to work “as speedily as possible” to make sure lessons can be learned before another pandemic emerges.

Baroness Heather Hallett warned the inquiry “will take time and have a significant cost”.

The probe was formally launched at the end of June, just days after bereaved families threatened to take legal action over delays.

Boris Johnson, the prime minister, had said the inquiry would start this spring.

Lady Hallett said all witnesses and those with evidence will be treated fairly but she “will not hesitate” to speak out about any key witnesses or organisation “who stands in the way” of the inquiry’s aim, which is to examine the response to the pandemic and its impact in all four nations of the UK.

She said she was struck by the “devastating nature” of people’s loss, and plans to conduct the inquiry in a way that “acknowledges this suffering and seeks to reduce the scope for others to suffer in the same way in the future”.

Elkan Abrahamson, head of major inquests and inquiries at Broudie Jackson Canter, who legally represents the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign, said it is of “fundamental importance” that the government fully discloses all relevant documents to the inquiry.

“The bereaved would regard anything less than full disclosure as a cover up,” he added.

Preliminary hearings will start as soon as September this year, followed by substantive public hearings from late spring next year, she said.

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Autumn COVID booster for over 50s

Lady Hallett said a “listening exercise” will begin later this year, allowing members of the public to share their story without formally giving evidence or going to a hearing.

She said aspects of the pandemic will be grouped into modules, with the first looking at whether the risk of a pandemic was properly identified and planned for.

Those who want to take part have to apply to become a core participant by 16 August, with the first preliminary hearing set for 20 September.

Bereaved families ‘need to be at the heart of the process’

Jo Goodman, co-founder of the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign said it was “an emotional day”.

“It meant a lot to hear Baroness Hallet recognise the ‘devastating nature of bereavement’ and the pain we’ve been through,” she said.

“Hopefully this will be reflected by not making bereaved families go through the stressful and draining process of applying to be core participants in every single module.

“Ultimately, all bereaved families want the same thing, which is to make sure that lessons are learnt from our devastating losses to protect others in the future.

“For the inquiry to be successful our experiences need to be at the heart of the entire process, be that the research they’re commissioning, the evidence being gathered or the hearings themselves.”

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Vaccinations expanded as COVID surges

The second module of the inquiry will look at decisions made by politicians and officials, covering issues like lockdowns, public health messaging, as well as the use of scientific expertise, modelling and data.

Additional hearings will take place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A third module will look at the impact of the virus and the governmental and societal response to it, focusing on patients, hospitals, health care staff, NHS backlogs, vaccination and long COVID.

Lady Hallett said “this will not be completed as quickly as some might like”, adding: “I make no apology for that.”

She said she needed time to make sure the inquiry has access to the evidence it needs and time to analyse it.

Commission launched to honour COVID victims

On the first day of the probe, the government also launched a new commission to determine how the UK will commemorate the victims and heroes of the pandemic.

Set to report back by March next year, the UK Commission on COVID Commemoration is expected to hear submissions from campaign groups and individuals on how the country should remember those who died of the virus, as well as those at the frontline fighting it.

More than 200,000 people have died with COVID in the UK.

Mr Johnson had previously announced plans to create the commission, which will be led by former culture secretary Baroness Nicky Morgan.