Should we probe Birmingham bombings again?

BIRMINGHAM senior coroner Louise Hunt is to reopen the adjourned inquest from 1974 into the 21 souls who lost their lives in the Birmingham pub bombings. The original inquest was adjourned six days after the bombings, without reporting, after six people were arrested and eventually convicted of this heinous and cowardly act. They were released in 1991 after an appalling miscarriage of justice was uncovered. But the coroner’s inquest remained closed until earlier this month. Former Director of Public Prosecutions Barbara Mills placed a 75-year embargo on files relating to Devon and Cornwall’s police inquiry into the West Midlands police investigation of the bombings, so they won’t be released until 2069. Why? Where have we heard of this happening before? Lord Brian Hutton’s inquiry into Dr David Kelly’s death in 2003 instructed that papers and photos were not made public for 70 years, so these will not be released until 2073. Why? Is it a cover-up by the Establishment to protect the guilty? After the historic re-opening of the Hillsborough inquests, we know that given the chance of a proper investigation, truth will out. GeRRARD JonAs, Justice For Kelly Group, standlake, oxon. THE Birmingham pub bombings were in 1974. This all happened a very long time ago, so why is the media digging all this up now? it’s just the same with the EU referendum debate, when we joined what was known as the common Market in 1973. JeRemy hATTon, hadley Wood, Gtr london. A FRESH inquest into the Birmingham bombings should be a good thing, but it isn’t. Any other time, it would be a welcome move forward in the reconciliation process. But will any of the IRA terrorists or their paymasters ever face any kind of justice? Tony Blair’s government sent ‘comfort’ letters to many of these people granting them immunity from prosecution, leaving them to live the lives that they stole from so many. Any inquiry into these atrocities is just going to be lip service.

Ashley smiTh, march, cambs.