The government appears to be buckling under pressure to give the official probe into how nurse Lucy Letby was able to kill seven babies greater powers.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan admitted this morning that the inquiry into the serial child-killer's crimes could be put on a statutory footing if parents want it.

Her remarks that a judge-led investigation, with legal power to compel witnesses to give evidence, was 'on the table' came amid an ever growing clamour for answers.

Letby, 33, will die in prison after being handed a whole-life sentence for her crimes yesterday. However ministers had resisted demands for a statutory inquiry to look into the actions of managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital, saying it could take too long.

But they have faced a barrage of criticism, including today from three former Conservative and Labour justice secretaries, medical experts and lawyers representing the families themselves.

One such lawyer, Tamlin Bolton, today said that a statutory inquiry was 'exactly' what the families she represented wanted.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan admitted this morning that the inquiry into the serial child-killer's crimes could be put on a statutory footing if parents want it.

Baby killer nurse Lucy Letby, 33, was convicted of murdering seven premature babies and attempting to murder six more. A judge gave her 14 whole-life orders

The solicitor for law firm Switalskis, which is representing the families of seven of Letby's victims, told BBC Breakfast: 'I don't believe they're suggesting that the NHS trust wouldn't comply with an independent inquiry or would refuse to provide documents but you have to have a measure in place to compel them to do so.

READ MORE: Lucy Letby is likely to see out days in HMP Low Newton where inmates go shopping for snacks and clothes, sleep in pink cells and pet animals Advertisement

'Inquiries are non-adversarial so it doesn't assign liability to anybody, it's just an investigation in its purest form and the importance of the statutory version of that is that you can make sure all that important evidence is there.

'The NHS is a public body, it's publicly funded, and we want transparency and we want this investigated.'

As it stands, the probe announced after Letby's convictions on Friday is non-statutory, meaning it will not have the power to force witnesses to appear before it or present certain documents.

Children's minister Claire Coutinho was sent out yesterday to defend the existing set-up, saying it 'makes more sense' because it could conclude faster.

But later Government sources said ministers were looking at 'all options' for upgrading the inquiry and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not rule it out.

This morning Ms Keegan told Times Radio: 'I was speaking to the Prime Minister yesterday and he made it really clear that what we need to do is make sure the families get answers, we learn the lessons as well, and it is a very transparent process that everyone can get behind.

'What will happen next is there will be a chair appointed, the chair will work with the families to look at the terms of reference, discuss the pros and cons of different types of inquiry, and then they will come to a conclusion.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says a statutory inquiry was the only way to get the 'fullest, proper, comprehensive' understanding of what went wrong and when

'But it is most important that the families get the answers that they need and that they deserve and that it is a transparent process which gives us the lessons learned as well.'

Pressed about whether it should be a statutory inquiry, she added: 'That is something that is on the table, that is something that can be discussed.

'But there are pros and cons to the two types of inquiry, so when the chair works with them on the terms of reference that will be something that they can input to them.'

Three former justice secretaries last night added their weight to growing pressure to strengthen the official inquiry into Lucy Letby's sickening crimes.

The trio joined others calling for a probe to be put on a statutory footing to give the public greater confidence and avoid accusations of an NHS 'cover-up'.

And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer joined the chorus, saying a statutory inquiry was the only way to get the 'fullest, proper, comprehensive' understanding of what went wrong and when.

Sir David Lidington, who served as justice secretary under Theresa May, said the findings of a full-blown judge-led, statutory inquiry would command greater public confidence.

He also backed calls to appoint a foreign medical expert to sit alongside a judge to avoid it being influenced by pro-NHS bias.

He told the Daily Mail: 'I just think that because of the issue of trust that is at stake here, we should have a statutory inquiry and that it should include somebody who is from a different jurisdiction who has not got any [NHS] service history, somebody who is genuinely independent or who has no axe to grind.'

It has been alleged that some NHS managers ignored warnings from Letby's colleagues that she was killing babies.

Labour peer Lord Falconer, who was Sir Tony Blair's justice secretary, said there was a risk that a non-statutory inquiry would allow these to be covered up.

Sir David Lidington, who served as justice secretary under Theresa May, said the findings of a full-blown judge-led, statutory inquiry would command greater public confidence

It has been alleged that some NHS managers ignored warnings from Letby's colleagues that she was killing babies. Labour peer Lord Falconer (pictured), who was Sir Tony Blair's justice secretary, said there was a risk that a non-statutory inquiry would allow these to be covered up

Jack Straw, who succeeded Lord Falconer under Gordon Brown, believes 'a non-statutory inquiry is not appropriate for circumstances like these, and in my experience is likely to create more problems than it avoids'

He said: 'The inquiry can compel the production of people to give evidence and documents and if you look at what's happening at the moment, with blame being traded – although no doubt the Government would ensure the institutions such as the hospitals and the NHS co-operated, they couldn't do that in relation to individuals who are no longer employed.'

Jack Straw, who succeeded Lord Falconer under Gordon Brown, said: 'A non-statutory inquiry is not appropriate for circumstances like these, and in my experience is likely to create more problems than it avoids.

'It may have to spend years putting draft conclusions to witnesses who had not been properly cross-examined on specific but relevant issues during the evidence gathering part of the inquiry.

'Statutory inquiries may themselves drag on, but overall they are better.'