Omagh Bombing Public Inquiry Ruled Out

Relatives of some victims killed in the Omagh bombing have vowed to fight on after the Government ruled out a public inquiry.

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said there were not enough grounds to justify a further review or inquiry into the attack by the Real IRA in 1998, in which 29 people died.

The blast in Co Tyrone was one of the worst atrocities in the Northern Ireland conflict and inflicted the greatest loss of life in a single terrorist incident.

It has been dogged by controversy, with long-standing allegations that intelligence and investigative failures by authorities on both sides of the border allowed the bombers to both carry out the crime and get away with it.

Some relatives of the victims had called for an all-Ireland probe into whether more could have been done to prevent it.

But Ms Villiers said: "I do not believe that there are sufficient grounds to justify a further review or inquiry above or beyond those that have already taken place or are ongoing.

"This was not an easy decision to make and all views were carefully considered.

"I believe that the ongoing investigation by the office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is the best way to address any outstanding issues relating to the police investigation."

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died in the bombing, told Sky News he was "absolutely disappointed, but not surprised".

"We gave both governments a document over a year ago that shows that both the British and Irish government could have done something to prevent the Omagh bomb," he said.

"Those people didn't need to die and yet here we have the Secretary of State saying we cannot have a public inquiry."

Mr Gallagher claimed the reasons given for the refusal were "trivial" and he said relatives would immediately start pursuing a judicial review.

"We have the result now - it's not the result we wanted, but at least we can move forward. We can go to the courts and that's exactly what we will do," he said in Belfast.

He insisted a full, public judicial inquiry with the power to compel witnesses to attend was required - pointing out that the police ombudsman does not have that ability.

Former Northern Ireland police ombudsman Dame Nuala O'Loan, ex-counter terrorism chief Bob Quick and Amnesty International have also all publicly backed the call for an inquiry.

The bomb was detonated just months after the signing of the historic Good Friday Agreement peace deal.

No one has been criminally convicted, but four republicans were found liable in a landmark civil case taken by relatives and ordered to pay £1.6m in compensation.

A number of survivors and the families of victims supported the bid for a full inquiry, but others told the Secretary of State it would cause them further pain.

Their views were weighed against other factors including the series of previous inquiries and the current investigation by the police ombudsman, officials said.

Stanley McCombe, whose wife Ann was killed, said: "If they want to try and hide the truth about Omagh, they can but we'll flush them out at the end of the day.

"There are no hiding places. It's a democratic country and people have to know the truth."

Mr McCombe said he would never give up the campaign, declaring: "I will not leave it until the day I die."

However, Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena was killed, opposed it because his children felt their mother should be able to rest in peace.

"We know the answers. I know there were dirty deeds done round Omagh and the Government, whether there is a public inquiry or not, they are going to bury them, and they have the power to do that," he said.

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Vernon Coaker said he hoped the police ombudsman probe could give the families some answers.

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