POLICE missed “opportunities galore” to stop the London Bridge terrorists, an inquest heard today.

Gareth Patterson, QC, the victims' lawyer, said cops failed to find crucial clues which could have snared the three-man jihadist death squad.

Eight people were killed and 48 injured in the van and knife attack by Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, on June 3, 2017.

Mr Patterson told the Old Bailey hearing cops raided the home of terror ringleader Butt in 2016, over a fraud accusation.

But officers failed to seize all of his computers or find radical material, he claimed.

Butt had stopped using his smartphone and tried to take out a £14,000 loan in the weeks before the terror attack.

TERROR PLOT CLUES

Mr Patterson said the changes in Butt's behaviour showed he was plotting a terror attack.

But Investigating officer Acting Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley denied there were missed opportunities to stop the jihadist gang.

Mr Patterson asked acting DCI Jolley: “Do you agree that the sudden stopping of using a phone might be of interest to you?

He replied: “It depends on the context.”

There were opportunities galore for this attack planning to be picked up prior to the beginning

Mr Patterson said: “One possible observation is, why is he going quiet all of a sudden?”

Addressing the loan, the QC added: “Might that have been him seeking to make provisions for his wife after he was gone?'”

Mr Jolley said that the application was never completed and forms relating to the loan were delivered after the attack.

Mr Patterson said: "There were opportunities galore for this attack planning to be picked up prior to the beginning."

He asked if police found any terror-related material when they seized Butt’s computers over supposed fraud.

JIHADIST MATERIAL

DCI Jolley said: “They were not all examined."

The police officer also said police were unable to find evidence Redouane was part of the militia which toppled Libya dictator Colonel Gaddafi in 2011, despite a newspaper report claiming he was.

Any reasonably competent investigation should have been looking at Redouane at this stage, I would submit.

Mr Patterson highlighted repeated contact between the men, including a barbecue at Butt's home in May at which Redouane was present.

He noted that three identical knives were bought by Redouane the day after the barbecue.

Mr Patterson said: "Any reasonably competent investigation should have been looking at Redouane at this stage, I would submit."

Mr Jolley told the court: "Again, that would depend on the intelligence at that time."

SYRIA MISSION

The court heard that Zaghba was stopped by police at Bologna airport trying to travel to Turkey so he could cross the border into Syria.

When officers asked Zaghba why he was heading to the Middle East Zaghba replied, “To be a terrorist”.

He corrected himself, saying, “To be a tourist” but Italian border force did attempt to refer him to UK police, the inquest heard.

Mr Patterson said digital evidence of pro-jihad material was found on Zaghba but again, Italian police failed to pass it on to British authorities.

TWIN TOWERS HATE DRAWINGS

“None of that information was ever shared with the authorities in this country,” the barrister said.

DCI Jolley replied: “Correct, not until post-attack.”

Mr Patterson said there was evidence of Zaghba being a committed and longstanding extremist dating back to his childhood and 9/11.

He said: “'He was drawing picture of the twin towers as his father shouted, "Allah Akbar."

Earlier in the inquest, Mr Patterson told the coroner: 'It was in the middle of 2015 that MI5 and the police began an investigation into Mr Butt.

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“The intelligence received at that stage was that he was aspiring to carry out an attack on the UK.”

Butt, Redouane and Zaghba were shot dead by police less than 10 minutes after their murderous attack began.

The inquest continues.

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