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