Victims families receive reassurance despite no new significant evidence.
Police chiefs have today stated that they are still willing to investigate the Birmingham pub bombings of 1974 even though no new evidence has yet come to light.
Relatives of two of the 21 victims who died in the bombings met this morning with senior officers from West Midlands Police. The update meeting, hosted by Chief Constable Chris Sims and attended by Detective Chief Supt Kenny Bell, gave the families the opportunity to discuss at length the current assessment into the pub bombings being undertaken by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit.
Chief Constable Sims expressed his sympathy to the families of those who died on that terrible night and praised campaigners. He also reiterated that the bombings and their victims should never be forgotten.” However, he added that the police investigation, which began in June 2012, has found no new evidence that would enable the bombers’ identities to be known. However, he ruled out a fresh inquiry into the bombing at this stage.
CC Sims explained, “We have collated and preserved some 18,500 items, including information from the original investigation in 1974 and the 1991-1994 investigation. In excess of 9000 items required assessment and we have also commissioned an independent review of the potential forensic evidence. We have found no new evidence that would assist us in bringing anyone to justice for the pub bombings.”
He also said that men who it was claimed had been responsible for the terrorist outrage had been subject to investigation on several occasions but that insufficient evidence was found to bring any prosecution.
In response to criticism of the force’s original enquiries, he conceded that mistakes had been made at the time, “I am sorry that families were not kept up to date or engaged with as is standard practice today. Forty years ago was a different era and a different force.”
Mr Sims concluded by reassuring the families that this investigation remains open: “It is always possible that brand new and significant information could become available to us – let me be clear – this case is not closed.”