Omagh report 'may offer hope of arrests'

A new report into the Omagh bombing investigation to be published today may offer new hope that the killers can be brought to justice.

A new report into the flawed Omagh bomb investigation is believed to hold out the hope that the killers can still be caught, it emerged today.

The investigation, by Merseyside deputy chief constable Mike Tonge, is also expected to confirm that mistakes made at the time have now been sorted out.

One source close to the report, due out today, said: “He has quality assured the ongoing inquiry and has found that all the weaknesses have been ironed out.

“Proper procedures are now in place and he’s hopeful people will still be arrested.”

Mr Tonge and another top Merseyside officer, Phil Jones, were called in after a bitter row flared over how the Royal Ulster Constabulary - now the Police Service of Northern Ireland - investigated the August 1998 Real IRA bombing which claimed 29 lives.

None of the gang responsible for the biggest single atrocity in the Northern Ireland conflict has ever been charged with any of the murders.

A scathing assessment issued by Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan last year found that Special Branch officers were warned that dissident republicans planned to target Omagh but failed to alert officers on the ground.

Her report also accused former Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan of defective leadership.

Mr Flanagan furiously defended his record and the efforts of his senior officers to hunt down the bomb team.

In a bid to defuse the row and reassure relatives of those killed in Omagh, the police board called in Mr Tonge last May to monitor and report on progress in the investigation.

Although he did not have operational control, the Merseyside officer also critically examined the resources and skill levels, moves to enhance working practices with the Garda Siochana, and identified obstacles to progress.

Mr Jones was appointed by the police to scrutinise their inquiry and given equal status to the senior investigating officer.

It is understood Mr Flanagan’s successor, Hugh Orde, has already been briefed on the content of Mr Tonge’s report.

Another source aware of the findings added: “This is an attempt to look forward and put behind us everything that went wrong.

“Nuala O’Loan may have identified a shabby and flawed investigation, but it’s much different today.”