Alice Gross suspect's inquest to take place

An inquest into the death of murdered schoolgirl Alice Gross's suspected killer will take place today.

Arnis Zalkalns was found hanged in Boston Manor Park, west London, on October 4 last year, days after 14-year-old Alice's body was found weighted down in the Grand Union Canal in Ealing.

Scotland Yard later said the 41-year-old Latvian - who had previously served seven years for murdering his wife in his home country - would have been charged with Alice's murder if he had still been alive.

In July it was revealed that Chinyere Inyama, the senior west London coroner, lost the 30-page police file into Alice's death on a train in November.

Police tried to recover the file, which contained evidence against prime suspect Arnis Zalkalns, but concluded it had probably been "destroyed as waste".

A full inquest into Alice's death is due to be held at the end of November or the beginning of December, and Mr Inyama has reserved judgment on whether it will be a jury inquest.

The schoolgirl's disappearance last August from her home in Hanwell, west London, sparked Scotland Yard's biggest search operation since the July 7 London bombings. It prompted a massive public search operation before her body was found on September 30.

The inquest today will take place this afternoon at West London Coroner's Court.