Second family join Omagh legal battle

A second family is launching a legal action against the British government and police over claims that the Omagh bomb atrocity could have been prevented, it was confirmed tonight.

Relatives of two victims who died have also accused the authorities of not doing enough to apprehend the killers.

Details of the new High Court proceedings were revealed as people in the Co Tyrone town prepared to mark the fourth anniversary of the attack which left 29 people dead. They included a mother heavily pregnant with twins.

Lawyer Desmond Doherty said tonight: "If our clients are wrong, let the British Government and police come to court and tell us how.

"When we ask questions about the investigation all we get are platitudes and excuses."

The action follows a move by other relatives to sue the five men they claim were behind the Real IRA bombing.

Writs have been served on Secretary of State John Reid and acting chief constable Colin Cramphorn on behalf of Laurence Rush, whose wife Elizabeth was killed in the August 15, 1998, blast.

Mr Doherty said another family who lost a relative in the explosion has now joined Mr Rush. Their identity has not been disclosed.

But he confirmed: "They have asked this office to take the same course of action."

The lawyer said Mr Rush only decided to sue the authorities after studying papers submitted by the Police Association in a legal challenge to a damning report by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman of the original RUC probe into the bombing.

Among the most serious allegations to emerge from Nuala O'Loan's inquiry was that police received at least one advance warning that an attack was planned for Omagh but failed to act.

Mr Doherty alleged: "These papers confirmed what my clients feared - that police didn't do enough to prevent the bombing or investigate it.

"We're not talking about police on the ground, it's the overall picture of advance warnings." He did not go into details about what was contained in the papers.

Eleven days before the explosion Special Branch were told of a planned attack on the town but failed to pass the information on to officers on the ground.

Mr Rush insisted he had been forced to act in a bid to get at the truth.

"We have had four years of sheer mayhem, confusion and mismanagement," he claimed.

Superintendent Norman Baxter, the detective now heading a new hunt for the killers, vowed to do everything possible to bring them to justice.

He also called on Sinn Fein to use its influence to ensure republicans come forward with information which could secure prosecutions.

Although accused by Sinn Fein party chairman Mitchel McLaughlin of playing "silly games", Mr

Baxter insisted republican opposition to Special Branch should not deter them from supplying information.

But Mr Rush was doubtful that any convictions would result from the new investigation.

He said: "I don't know how he can turn back the clock or work in a situation where evidence has been lost or destroyed."

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the bomb, stressed the separate court action would not impact on his bid to sue the alleged terrorists.

He said: "Laurence is doing what he feels is best and we are doing what we feel is best."

Mr Gallagher also challenged Sinn Fein to exert its influence.

He added: "These are the people that really need to decide whether they want to help resolve this crime or not."