£50,000 target in pub bomb fight

FAMILIES of the Birmingham pub bombing victims have set a new £50,000 target to pay for a legal challenge to force a coroner to identify the alleged bombers at a forthcoming inquest.

They have already raised £13,000, but £10,000 of this will have to pay for paperwork which has been drawn up requesting permission from the High Court for a full judicial review.

Julie Hambleton, of campaign group Justice4the21, has now issued a new plea to supporters.

She made the call as she revealed Coroner Sir Peter Thornton had lodged detailed arguments against the application by ten of the victims’ families.

Ms Hambleton’s sister, Maxine, was among 21 who died when IRA bombers destroyed city centre bars The Mulberry Bush and The Tavern In The Town on November 21, 1974.

Ms Hambleton said: “The Coroner and his team of barristers and solicitors have lodged detailed arguments against our application, and this is funded by the taxpayer.

“This is the continuing inequality between those who have power and authority to get to the truth – the law officers, the police and Whitehall – and us, the relatives of the victims, reliant on handouts from the state and the generosity of ordinary people.”

To support the appeal go to www. crowdjustice.com/case/justice4the21