Relatives were thwarted 5 times

RELATIVES of those killed in Hyde Park were repeatedly thwarted in their quest for legal aid:

OCT 2015: Legal Aid Agency says funding civil case is not in the ‘significant wider public interest’.

DEC 2015: LAA says there is no ‘real benefit’ to the wider public of legal action – and suggested the families should go to the Army or military charities for financial backing.

FEB 2017: The agency claims the costs of funding the case is ‘not proportionate to the benefits’.

JUL 2017: It claims John Downey is unlikely to file a defence and donations will cover costs without the need for public cash.

AUG 2017: Downey does file a defence, claiming he has been framed.

DEC 2017: LAA says that Downey’s defence is too strong for a case to be worthwhile.

FEB 5: At the sixth time of asking the LAA backs down and grants an estimated £300,000 in legal aid for the civil case.