Ex-hospital chiefs' call to halt Letby inquiry labelled 'opportunistic'

Former bosses at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked have been accused of "opportunistically" calling for the inquiry into her crimes to be halted to hide their "catastrophic" failures.

- Josh Halliday

The former executives at the Countess of Chester hospital said for the first time yesterday they believed there was a "real likelihood" Letby was innocent as they called for the public inquiry to be paused.

However, families of the jailed nurse's victims said the managers were attempting to evade responsibility for their "many failures".

Richard Baker KC, representing parents of 12 of the babies, said: "The applications to stop the inquiry are, on Letby's part, an attempt to control the narrative, and on the part of the executives to avoid criticism."

The public inquiry chair, Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall, is due to announce today whether she will proceed with her report or request a suspension. Thirlwall, whose findings are to be published later this year, has legal authority to pause the inquiry but only the health secretary, Wes Streeting, can suspend it.