G4S shunned reporters yesterday following allegations that bosses at the security privateer knew of botched background checks that led to two men’s deaths.

Convicted killer Danny Fitzsimons was on the security contractor’s payroll as an armed guard in Iraq when he murdered colleagues Paul McGuigan and Darren Hoare in August 2009.

A BBC Scotland 2014 investigation claimed that management was aware of serious flaws in the screenings.

A leaked G4S probe said that Fitzsimons did not complete his application form or cite military references, and a criminal records check which would have revealed multiple previous convictions was not performed.

Not only that, but in March 2009 two teams of auditors found “a number of personal files did not include criminal records checks” and contractors had been deployed “before handing in the necessary information.”

A G4S spokesman said: “In light of the impending inquest and in the interests of not prejudicing it, we are not commenting.”