A coroner criticised the family of the ringleader behind the London Bridge terror attack, accusing them of being unconvincing witnesses who should have done more to alert authorities.

Mark Lucraft QC, chief coroner for England and Wales, concluded eight innocent bystanders had been unlawfully killed by Khuram Butt and his two accomplices, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba, in the attack on June 3 2017.

But to the disappointment of victims’ families, the coroner cleared the security services and counter-terrorism police of any failure to prevent the atrocity on Friday.

Although Butt was the first jihadist terrorist to carry out an attack while under active investigation by MI5, the coroner praised the agency’s “thorough and rigorous” inquiries into his activities.

Instead Mr Lucraft criticised Butt’s close family, including his widow, Zahrah Rehman.