Families of 16 British people who died in Tunisia terror attacks to sue travel companies 'who were promoting holidays with 40 per cent discount and did not warn of dangers'

Agents encouraged customers with discounts, sold travel insurance that excluded cancellation and then discouraged cancellation by penalising customers at up to the full costs if they learned of terrorist atrocities, the families of victims claimed.

From today: Pre-inquest review into Tunisia terror murders of Morden couple Janet and John Stocker held today

Families of 16 of the Britons who died in the Islamist attack are suing agents for promoting holidays to Tunisia in June 2015 although the FCO was warning of a "high threat" of terrorism and indiscriminate attacks, a pre-inquest review heard today.

The victims include Janet and John Stocker, who lived in Morden. 

Mrs Stocker, 63, worked at the North Cheam branch of Sainsbury’s where colleagues raised money towards a funeral wreath and a memorial bench which was unveiled there in October.

October 2015: Family and colleagues unveil memorial to murdered John and Janet Stocker

Agents apparently encouraging customers to visit the country although the FCO advice said there was a "high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping.

"Attacks could be indiscriminate including places visited by foreigners" following the previous attack at the Bardo National Museum.

Seven months after the attack, travel companies were still promoting the resort offering 40 per cent discounts.

Of the 38 victims who died when 23-year-old Seifeddine Rezgui Yacoubi opened fire at the resort of Port El Kantaoui near Sousse on June 26 last year, 30 were British holidaymakers.

Counsel for the 16 families, represented by Irwin Mitchell, submitted documents at the High Court describing how Thomson was offering 40 per cent discounts to travel to Tunisia - seven months after the massacre.

His Honour Justice Nicholas Loraine-Smith QC ruled also that the inquest will question what Thomson and over travel companies and the Government knew about the security risk the region faced at the time and also question whether another gunman assisted in the bloodshed.

Andrew Ritchie QC, blasted Thomson and other firms for their "three-stemmed" approach of "don't tell them the facts, sell them insurance that doesn't cover cancellation and then don't give them their money back".

He said: "The families are intensely interested in the security that was on the beach and the hotel.

"[And the] information by travel companies given to families selling and persuading them to go to the resort.

"The families are deeply troubled by the the three-stemmed procedure.

"Firstly of not encouraging mention of advice to travel to Tunisia and of Thomson putting on the brochures, online or in writing or on booking forms any of the FCO warning.

"It was completely absent from Thomson brochures, online and booking forms. The families are deeply concerned about this process.

"The second thing is they were selling insurance for such holidays that expressly excluded cancellation cover if the families found out about the Bardo attack.

"The third which is the family did come across the Bardo attack or other concerns about terrorism in Tunisia from is to refuse to give back costs on a sliding basis up to 100 per cent."

Not only was there the Bardo attack where 22 people, mostly European tourists, were killed by Islamists, but there was also a suicide bomber who failed to claim victims near the resort before the fatal attack, he said.

He suggested that a "traffic light" system should be introduced to travel advertising to warn of likelihood of terror attacks in order to prevent future deaths.

Howard Stevens QC, representing TUI, the parent company of Thomson, said allegations fell into a "contentious area" and "allegations are disputed".

In Irwin Mitchell's submissions, they said: "This practice consists of the following unhappy, and unfair combination [of] encouraging customers to travel to Tunisia without informing them of the FCO warnings of the risk of death or injury from terrorism which they will face.

"Between March and 26 June 2015 the FCO advice was 'high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including places visited by foreigners'.

"It appears that TUI gave no such information to customers booking holidays in this period.

"After the June 26, 2015, attack the FCO advice as 'against all but essential travel' yet in January 2016 TUI were still encouraging customers to holiday in Sousse with up to 40 per cent price reductions and still making no mention of the FCO warnings.

"This has been described by one Member of Parliament as "shameful" behaviour."

TUI is also yet to work out who owns or manages the resort.

Mr Ritchie said: "We are immeasurably surprised that Thomson are incapable of knowing who the operators are of the place where they send British people."

Mr Stevens replied to the court packed with victims' families: "We are close to being able to answer that question."

Mr Ritchie said: "There's potentially some evidence before you that there was not just one gunman with a large gun but another with a smaller one."

The coroner agreed that the scope of the inquest should include whether there were two shooters as well as the level of security in place before the Bardo National Museum attack and how it changed from then until the recent killings.

All post-mortem results have been handed to the coroner.

Suzanne Richards, mum of Joel Richards, daughter of Pat Evans and sister of Adrain Evans, who all died in the attack, said in a statement after the hearing: "We were left distraught and heartbroken following the tragic events in Tunisia and I think it is likely we will never fully come to terms with what happened.

"We just hope the inquest process can shed some light on exactly what happened so that my family and all the grieving families can begin to understand how their loved ones died and whether more could have been done to protect them.

"Nothing can turn back the clock but it is important to us to find out if any lessons can be learned to try and prevent similar heart-breaking devastation in future."

The inquest is scheduled to begin on January 16, 2017. With two more pre-inquest reviews to be held on May 25, 2016, and September 13, 2016.

In the inquest as well as civil action, Irwin Mitchell represent the families of Charles Patrick Evans, Adrian Evans, Joel Richards, John and Janet Stocker, David Thompson, Denis and Elaine Thwaites, Claire Windass, Ray Fisher, Bruce Wilkinson, John Welch, Mary Lisa Burbidge, Trudy Jones and John Stollery.