earlier. we are going to bring you another story. we will come back to events in nottingham shortly. you are watching bbc news. the other story we are following here in the uk today is the first day of a new phase of the covid inquiry. this inquiry is looking into how the government handled the covid pandemic. today marks the first day of public hearings, but they are expected to last for several years. today the inquiry has heard opening statements from counsel for the core participants, and that is what you are seeing on screen right now. let s hear from the bbc s ali are seeing on screen right now. let s hearfrom the bbc s ali price, and her report starts with some of the video testimonies from bereaved families that were played to the inquiry. families that were played to the in . ui . ~ families that were played to the inuui .~ families that were played to the in.ui . ., families that were played to the inuui . ~ ., ., inquiry. when we looked down at work, i inquiry. w
died alone. i can imagine my mummy alone. another person said, i am on my own now. i didn t have anyone. my grief was found by an absence of comfort. people talked about once their loved ones had died, they couldn t grieve in the normal way. my couldn t grieve in the normal way. my mum didn t get a celebration of her life. our lives are just broken. it was interesting that lady hallet looked visibly moved. after this, this was when the inquiry in earnest really started. this was the factual side of it. today the focus is on preparedness. we had the lead lawyer for the inquiry. preparedness. we had the lead lawyer forthe inquiry. he preparedness. we had the lead lawyer for the inquiry. he was saying that the uk was taken by surprise by this. he asked certain questions like, did brexit take the focus away from planning? will be too busy focusing on a flu pandemic to think about covid? we have also heard from the lawyer for the bereaved families who said government planning was complacent
minute it would be my dad and my sister five days apart. minute it would be my dad and my sister five days apart. nearly three and a half years sister five days apart. nearly three and a half years after sister five days apart. nearly three and a half years after the - sister five days apart. nearly three and a half years after the first - and a half years after the first case was discovered in this country, the covid inquiry is under way. the stories from around the uk were played to reflect the grief and anger families affected. played to reflect the grief and angerfamilies affected. i am played to reflect the grief and anger families affected. i am angry. i need questions anger families affected. i am angry. i need questions answered. - anger families affected. i am angry. i need questions answered. i - anger families affected. i am angry. i need questions answered. i am - anger families affected. i am angry. | i need questions answered. i am just still hurt and i m still upse
another one at procurement, and another one at procurement, and another one on medicines. in the future there will be more, as well. i expect some education, business, test entries. all of these things will be looked at. this is going to be three years of questions. along the way we will have interim answers. there will be reports on each module in rolling fashion. catherine burns at the inquiry, thank you for giving us the latest. you can watch the covid inquiry on the bbc iplayer. it will be streamed throughout. you re watching bbc news, and we return now to our ongoing coverage of the breaking situation in the city of nottingham. we have just had a statement that has come into us from the police in nottingham. iam has come into us from the police in nottingham. i am going to go through it now will stop i am looking at it for the first time myself. it says, police are keeping an open mind over the motive of a city attack.
make this part of the inquiry will focus on the uk s preparedness on the pandemic. it will hearfrom experts like scientists and politicians. hugo keith qc said the uk was taken by surprise by significant aspects. even at this stage, before hearing the evidence, it is apparent that we might not have been very well prepared at all. it is absolutely clear, now, with hindsight, that the disease was spiralling out of control. but to what extent was that possibility foreseen, planned for, and guarded against? the foreseen, planned for, and guarded aaainst? , . against? the inquiry, which will take several against? the inquiry, which will take several years, against? the inquiry, which will take several years, will - against? the inquiry, which will take several years, will be - against? the inquiry, which will take several years, will be split| take several years, will be split into several modules. the first, pandemic preparedness, will hear from about 70 witnesses. then political decis