The families of four young men who fell victim to gay serial killer Stephen Port have issued a public plea for information as they prepare to take legal action.
Last year, Port, 41, was handed a whole life sentence after a jury found he had surreptitiously given the men fatal doses of date rape drug GHB before dumping their bodies near his flat in Barking, east London, over 15 months.
The families of Anthony Walgate, 23, Gabriel Kovari from Lewisham, 22, Daniel Whitworth from Gravesend, 21, and Jack Taylor, 25, have jointly instructed specialist lawyers as the Independent Police Complaints Commission continues its probe into the handling of the case.
Daniel Whitworth
Gabriel Kovari
Ahead of the conclusion of the inquiry and any future inquests, they are trying to build up a bigger picture of Port's activities before they decide what legal action to take.
The Metropolitan Police has already been widely criticised over the Port case and was even compared to the incompetent Pink Panther detective Inspector Clouseau in Westminster.
The force admitted "missed opportunities" to catch the killer sooner and is re-examining another 58 GHB-related deaths over four years in London to rule out foul play.
A total of 17 officers are being investigated by the IPCC over the case, seven of whom could face the sack if found to be guilty of gross misconduct.
The families have instructed civil liberties and police action specialists Neil Hudgell and Andrew Petherbridge of Hudgell Solicitors and Leslie Thomas QC of Garden Court Chambers.
But in a statement issued on behalf of the families, Mr Hudgell said it was "too early" to say what legal action they would take.
He said: "The Metropolitan Police have publicly acknowledged that the evidence heard at Stephen Port's trial identified potentially missed opportunities to catch Port sooner.
"There are many serious questions which the families of these young men need answering through the ongoing IPCC investigation and any future inquests.
"It is essential that we establish whether the police response to the deaths of these young men was thorough and appropriate, including whether discrimination played any part in their actions.
"The families expect the IPCC to fully scrutinise the investigative work undertaken by the police and examine how any potential similarities between the cases were considered.
"The families rightly want the police to be held to account, but it is too early at this stage to say what form any legal action may take, the emphasis right now is on information gathering."
When Port was convicted at the Old Bailey last November, Mr Taylor's family said: "We do believe Jack would still be here if they had done their job.
"The police should be held accountable for Jack's death. We do understand it's not them who took Jack's life, but Stephen Port would have been stopped."
Mr Hudgell urged anyone with relevant information to contact the IPCC investigation directly on 0800 151 0021 or email the legal team portenquiry@hudgellsolicitors.co.uk.
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