No one paused to consider the possibility of a deceased person being identified by dental records

Lord Justice Clarke

"It is to my mind a shocking feature of the case that it was possible for a pair of hands to be left undiscovered in the [Westminster] mortuary, not just for months but for years.

"The hands should not have been removed and Dr Knapman must bear the responsibility for the fact that they were."

Lord Clarke accepted that Dr Knapman acted 'in good faith'

Dr Knapman said he hoped the report would be a "turning point" for all those affected by the disaster.

He said: "I understand that for some of the families ... their focus will remain those actions of mine and others that have had the unintentional effect of adding to their hurt.

"I very much regret that this has happened. My strongest desire is that Lord Clarke's report, and its clear signposts for the future, can now mark a turning point for all of us."

Established practice

In a statement, Dr Knapman said he should have been "more explicit" in his original briefing to senior police officers.

I judged that what the relatives ... wanted most was a swift and certain identification

Dr Paul Knapman

He said the decisions taken were in line with established practice at the time and were made with no intention of "causing further distress".

Second funerals

"They were taken in the context of an immensely complex situation for which none of us could have been prepared.

"I judged that what the relatives of those who feared the loss of a loved one wanted most was a swift and certain identification.

John Prescott said the government would act upon the report's safety recommendations

"I did not fully recognise the distress that further disfigurement of the bodies might cause."

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said it was hard to imagine the distress relatives must have felt.

He said Home Secretary Jack Straw would be asking coroners to report any future cases where hands are removed to the Home Office.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn has agreed that an ongoing review of the Human Tissue Act will be widened to cover Lord Justice Clarke's findings.

The bereaved were originally told that just blood and urine samples were taken for toxicology tests for drugs and alcohol.

Some families are now considering holding second funerals to reunite those who died with their hands.