THE deaths of 30 Britons, including a Gwent woman, in the Tunisia terrorist attack could have been prevented had there not been "gross neglect" by the travel companies they depended upon, an inquest has been told.

Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse on June 26 2015, leaving 38 people dead, including Trudy Jones of Blackwood.

The inquest into the deaths of the Britons at the Royal Courts of Justice heard that "part of the attack or most of it could have been prevented", had security been tighter.

In his final oral submissions to the coroner, Andrew Ritchie QC, counsel to the families of the victims, argued that Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith should consider a "neglect" conclusion, arguing that there had been "gross neglect" on the part of the TUI travel company.

He told the inquest that the Tunisian government was taking the terror risk seriously, but Tui and the hotel operators did not.

Mr Ritchie said: "The verdict that the families seek for you to reach is either the neglect verdict", or if that is not reached, then a "neutral" conclusion.

He said that the hotel owners, hotel operators and the travel companies provided the guests with security, making them "dependent" upon them for their safety.

Grandfather Charles Patrick Evans, who was one of the guests at the hotel killed in the attack, "could not protect himself against a risk" while staying in Tunisia, Mr Ritchie said.

He told the inquest that while it was a five star hotel, he was "not aware" and "not informed" of the terrorism risk, and therefore "wholly dependent for his own security on what the hotel do".

"What control did he have on his security? None. He was dependent. He was dependent because he had no control."

Mr Ritchie said that there were just three security guards on duty at the resort on the day of the attack, and that there were fewer CCTV cameras there than at other beach hotels.

"I do submit on behalf of the families that the guards at the Imperial Marhaba Hotel (IMH) were not effective deterrents," adding: "The families submit that the lack of CCTV which made the IMH a target is directly relevant."

He said that the hotel's gates to the beach "were left open all day" and that there had been "no improvements made", or no effective improvements, after militants attacked the Bardo National Museum in the capital Tunis earlier that year.

However Samantha Leek QC, counsel for the inquest, did not agree with the suggestions for the coroner to return a "neglect" conclusion.

Judge Loraine-Smith will consider whether the victims were in a position of dependency, if there was gross neglect, and if that gross neglect contributed to the deaths, in deciding whether to give a "neglect" verdict.

The inquest, which is expected to conclude on Tuesday, continues.