UK judge says Tunisia police 'shambolic' during beach attack

FILE - This is a Friday, June 26, 2015 file photo of an injured person being treated on a Tunisian beach, in Sousse Tunisia. A British coroner said the Tunisian police response to a deadly gun attack on the beach resort of Sousse was "at best shambolic, at worst cowardly." Judge Nicholas Lorraine-Smith is delivering his findings Tuesday Feb. 28, 2017 at an inquest into the deaths of 30 British tourists killed in the June 2015 attack at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel. (Jawhare FM/File via AP) (The Associated Press)

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Managing Director of travel company Tui Nick Longman reads a statement abouta deadly gun attack in Tunisia outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London Tuesday Feb. 28, 2017 . The coroner said the Tunisian police response to a deadly gun attack on the beach resort of Sousse was "at best shambolic, at worst cowardly." Judge Nicholas Lorraine-Smith is delivering his findings Tuesday at an inquest into the deaths of 30 British tourists killed in the June 2015 attack at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel. (Kirsty O'Connor/PA via AP) (The Associated Press)

FILE - This is a Saturday, June 27, 2015 file photo of a young woman as she lays a flowers at the scene of a deadly gun attack in Sousse, Tunisia. A British coroner says the Tunisian police response to a deadly gun attack on the beach resort of Sousse was "at best shambolic, at worst cowardly." Judge Nicholas Lorraine-Smith is delivering his findings Tuesday Feb. 28, 2017 at an inquest into the deaths of 30 British tourists killed in the June 2015 attack at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic/File) (The Associated Press)

LONDON – A British coroner says the Tunisian police response to a deadly gun attack on the beach resort of Sousse was "at best shambolic, at worst cowardly."

Judge Nicholas Lorraine-Smith is delivering his findings Tuesday at an inquest into the deaths of 30 British tourists in the June 2015 attack at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel.

In all, 38 people were killed by gunman Seifeddine Rezgui. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

In Britain, inquests are held to establish the facts in cases of violent or unexplained deaths.

The judge rejected calls from victims' lawyers to issue a finding of neglect by travel firms and hotels. He said local police were responsible for security, and "their response could and should have been effective."