There were “opportunities galore” to spot that the London Bridge terrorists were planning an atrocity before it happened, an inquest has heard.

Eight people were killed and 48 others injured when Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, carried out a van and knife attack on 3 June 2017.

Gareth Patterson QC, representing several of the victims’ families, told the Old Bailey about a number of instances where the terrorists were together and suggested there could have been clues to show they were plotting an outrage.

He suggested there were “opportunities galore” to pick up on the event planning, saying there was evidence the attackers were in contact with each other in January 2017.

Mr Patterson also said it would have taken a “significant period of time” for the group to become so close and trust each other so they could plan an attack.

He said that in March 2017, the trio were at the Ummah fitness centre in east London, and had all been as the same address at some point.

He added that Butt had possibly been trying to buy a gun at the time.

Investigating officer Acting Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley disagreed that opportunities had been missed concerning the three men, adding police would have been working with the intelligence they had.

However, Mr Patterson pointed out that repeated contact had been made between the trio, including at a barbecue at Butt’s home in May 2017, where Redouane was present.

He noted that three identical knives were brought by Redouane the day after the barbecue.

Mr Patterson said: “Any reasonably competent investigation should have been looking at Redouane at this stage, I would submit.”

Mr Jolley replied: “Again, that would depend on the intelligence at that time.”

The inquest was told Zaghba had been going to Butt’s gym since January and was in telephone contact with him since that time.

Mr Patterson added: “All of these things, when pulled together, I would suggest, is crying out to be looked at.”

He also said the trio were seen outside the gym in May, “in the dead of night, speaking together in the street”, which Mr Patterson described as a “highly suspicious conversation”.

The court heard that a phone was placed on the floor before the conversation, which is a “classic anti-surveillance technique”, adding “the attack planning was there to be detected”.

Mr Patterson said: “A reasonably competent surveillance, I would suggest, would have had Butt monitored up to that point.”

The court was also told Zaghba celebrated the 9/11 attacks and had Islamic State flags on his Facebook page, according to writings by his mother.

He also tried to fly abroad and fight for IS but was stopped at the airport after jihadist material was found on an SD card he had – which included scenes of him joking about Osama Bin Laden and an online piece about a verse in the Koran that says non-believers will go to hell.

Dominic Adamson, who is representing the family of Mr Thomas, one of the victims, said Butt had expressed a desire to travel to Syria, as well as carry out an attack in the UK.

He added that Butt hated British culture and accessed extreme material online.

Mr Adamson said it was a “reasonable assumption” to think the planning had taken place at the gym, to which Mr Jolley replied he “would always be careful about making assumptions”.

Richard Horwell QC, for the Metropolitan Police, asked: “In the months leading up the attack was there any evidence of any attack planning?”

Mr Jolley replied: “Not that we uncovered, sir, no.”

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