Tomlinson inquest to begin, two years after his death

After three post-mortem examinations, and almost two years to the day since he died after being struck by a police baton during G20 protests, the inquest into the death of Ian Tomlinson is due to start on Monday.

The newspaper vendor was walking home when he was caught up in the protests in London on 1 April 1 2009. He died of severe internal haemorrhaging after collapsing shortly afterwards.

PC Simon Harwood, a Territorial Support Group officer trained in dealing with public disorder, struck him in the abdomen and pushed him over when he walked over to police lines.

However, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped a manslaughter charge against the officer because the first pathologist to carry out a post- mortem examination concluded Mr Tomlinson had died of natural causes, a heart attack. Two other post-mortem examinations showed he had been struck in the abdomen, causing internal bleeding. The original pathologist, Dr Freddy Patel, was last year found guilty of professional misconduct.

* Charlie Gilmour, the son of the Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, went before City of Westminster magistrates yesterday accused of violent disorder during the fees protest on 9 December. He was remanded on bail until 26 April.