OAP QUIZZED ON PUB BOMBS ‘IS FROM CITY’

Man held over IRA attack ‘grew up in Birmingham’

A MAN being quizzed over the Birmingham pub bombings was raised in the city, it is claimed.

Michael Patrick Reilly, 65, was arrested early on Wednesday at his Belfast home.

But a source has said it is believed Mr Reilly, who was 19 at the time of the attacks, grew up in Birmingham.

The source said: “We believe he was raised in Birmingham and spent a significant par t of hi s young life there.

“He certainly would have gone back and forth b etw een Engl and and Ireland over the years. It is believed he was living in the Digbeth area of the city in 1974 but eventually settled in West Belfast where he had family.”

Yesterday the pensioner was still being questioned. He was arrested under the Terrorism Act and taken to Musgrave Street police station in Belfast while searches continued at his address. The arrest came days before the 46th anniversary of the November 21 blasts which killed 21 at the Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town pubs.

The bungled police inquiry which followed led to the wrongful convictions of the Birmingham Six. They were freed in 1991 after all charges were quashed.

At last year’s inquest, an anonymous EX-IRA volunteer named four men he claimed took part, three of whom are now dead.

Th e f our th , Micha el Hayes, now lives in Dublin.

When lawyers for the victims’ families put Mr Reilly’s name to the former v o l u n t e e r, h e d e n i e d knowledge of his involvement. Mr Hayes has always strongly denied anything to do with the Birmingham outrage.

Approached for a comment on the bombings for a TV documentary in 2018, his l awyer said allegations he was involved were “without any foundation”.

BLASTED Mulberry Bush

Mr Reilly was held in Belfast

CARNAGE Tavern in Town