Flanagan apologises to Omagh families

FORMER police chief in the North, Ronnie Flanagan last night apologised to the families of the Omagh bomb victims for his force’s handling of the case.

It was the first time the ex-RUC chief constable has publicly said sorry for the botched investigation into the atrocity that claimed the lives of 29 people.

However, Mr Flanagan said he would not resign from his current role as adviser on policing, despite a judge’s recent damning condemnation of how the RUC investigated the August 1998 bombing.

South Armagh man Sean Hoey was cleared last month of the Omagh murders and other attacks.

Trial judge Mr Justice Weir highlighted malpractice at every stage of evidence gathering during the case.

“I absolutely publicly apologise to the families in Omagh,” Mr Flanagan told Channel Four news.

“I am desperately sorry that we have not... brought people to justice for that dreadful attack. I publicly apologise to all those families and all those victims; to all those who were injured, without reservation.

“Of course, as chief constable, I have to take responsibility for the shortcomings that the judge highlighted and I take responsibility for those shortcomings.”

Asked if he would resign from Britain’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Mr Flanagan replied: “I don’t think that is appropriate.”

He was speaking after a meeting with Victor Barker, who lost his 12-year-old son James in the bombing.

Mr Barker, who has been demanding Mr Flanagan’s resignation, said the apology didn’t go far enough.

“He apologised that no one’s been brought to justice, that’s very different from apologising for his own involvement in the case,” he said.

“I don’t think he can morally justify remaining in his current position when he was the major responsible officer for an investigation that fell so short of what the relatives should have expected.”