Anger as police recruit ‘reputational manager’ Pub bomb justice campaigners criticise expense as ‘obscene’

POLICE are appointing a near £40,000-a-year manager to help protect their reputation over historic cases such as the Birmingham pub bombings.

The Public Enquiry Manager being sought by West Midlands Police will “oversee the force responsibility to public inquiries and support other strategic, legal and reputational issues impacting on the force”.

But the move was branded “obscene” by the Justice4the21 campaign group.

Julie Hambleton, whose sister Maxine died in the blasts, said: “What reputation do they have left to protect as far as the Birmingham pub bombings are concerned?

“They totally cocked up the investigation, put six innocent men behind bars for almost 17 years and officers were found to have lied and falsified statements.

“Over the years their incompetence – and some may think subterfuge – has continued.

“Look at how in 2014 they admitted that 35 items of vital evidence in the case had conveniently gone missing.

“One was the remains of a third bomb which was planted outside a Hagley Road bank which may have provided DNA evidence.

“They won’t even tell us what the other 34 items are, nor offer an explanation as to why they have disappeared.

“And, despite what they say, they desperately didn’t want a new inquest into the deaths of our loved ones to be opened.

“But while the families have repeatedly been denied legal aid to pay for lawyers to represent us at the inquest, they have £1 million of taxpayers’ money set aside.

“And now, seemingly at the drop of a hat, they can afford to pay someone £40,000 for this. It really does add insult to injury as far as we are concerned.

“It is obscene and we hope it will help people to see what is going on. The authorities are stacking up obstacles to prevent the truth being revealed as far as we are concerned.”

A total of 21 people died when IRA bombers attacked two city centre bars, The Tavern in The Town and The Mulberry Bush on November 21, 1974. Another 182 were injured.

After Birmingham and Solihull Coroner Louise Hunt made the historic decision in June to re-open inquests, West Midlands Police Chief Constable David Thompson admitted “falsification of evidence” and the perpetrators of the Birmingham pub bombings not being caught were the “biggest failing in the force’s history”.

The public enquiry manager job specification says the role includes ensuring that “civil litigations, claims and inquests are managed in a professional, consistent and timely manner to ensure compliance with the legal requirements of any public inquiry or similar force level requirement.”

Last week Mr Thompson told the force’s Strategic Police and Crime Board that it had three staff members working full-time gathering evidence about the actions of its own undercover officers in police operations since 1968.

What reputation do they have left to protect as far as the Birmingham Pub Bombings are concerned Julie Hambleton, Justice4the21, above