IRA man accepts ‘collective responsibility’ for pub bombings

A self-confessed IRA bomber has said he accepts “collective responsibility” for the Birmingham pub bombs.

Michael Christopher Hayes, 69,saidhewasinbirmingham on the night of the 1974 attacks but declined to comment on whether he was directly involved.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Hayes also reiterated an apology he made to the families of the 21 victims in a newspaper interview last year.

He also repeated a claim that he defused a third bomb that had been planted in the city once he heard of the carnage 0 One of the Birmingham pubs after the 1974 bombings the first two explosions had caused.

He stood by his refusal not to give evidence to the forthcoming inquest into the Birmingham bombs.

Mrhayes,whowasnamedas a suspect in the Birmingham attacks in a TV documentary in 1990, repeatedly refused to comment when asked if he had any direct involvement in the attacks.

The former IRA man, who lives in south Dublin, said two men planted the bombs, but he refused to name them or say if he was one of them.

“No comment,” he said when asked.

Mr Hayes said: “I take full collective responsibility for all operations carried out in the West Midlands. I take collective responsibility for every IRA operation carried out in England, let alone Birmingham.”