Father has 'no hope' for son caught in London bombings

The father of 22-year-old Irishman Ciaran Cassidy, still missing after it is believed he was caught up in the Tube bombing at Kings Cross, has said he has "no hope whatsoever" about seeing his son alive.

"I believe he is gone," said Sean Cassidy.

Sean Cassidy, who was born in Co Cavan and who moved to London 35 years ago, said: "Ciaran left the house about 8.30am in the morning to catch a train at Finnsbury Park. We are sure that Ciaran was on that train. People have spotted him getting onto the front or second carriage."

Mr Cassidy said he heard the news of the bombing on the Underground when he was working that morning.

"Someone said there had been a bomb on the train and there was 30 people dead. So I said: 'My son travels on that train' and I just took out my phone and rang his mobile number and it wasn't working. I didn't think anything of it because I thought he might have his phone off at work."

Ciaran's father said he and wife began to worry later on that day when they still had heard nothing from their son.

"His boss rang and said he hadn't been at work and then alarm bells started. We could do nothing at this stage, all you could do was sit down and think about it," Mr Cassidy said. "At that stage we were still hopeful."

Since Thursday, Mr Cassidy said his family have heard no news from Ciaran. The authorities, he said, have not been keeping the family informed of the situation.

"We got no word from the authorities whatsoever until Sunday when the Liaison Officer came around. All he wanted was details of Ciaran for identification purposes only. We have heard no word from the police or from anybody since he left Thursday morning. We've heard absolutely nothing," he said.

Ciaran's family was still contacting hospitals until Saturday last but they now believe he is not in the hospitals.

"We went around all the hospitals. All the lists have been checked. There is one unidentified person but it's a female," he said.

Mr Cassidy said he is "holding no hopes" that his son is still alive.

"No, we have no hope whatsoever", he said. "I believe he is gone. I think most of the family have come to terms with that. My wife and daughter have come to terms with that he's gone and that's it."

Ciaran, his father said, loved football and was a huge Arsenal fan.

"He was a very happy-go-lucky boy, full of fun. He went to see Arsenal as often as he could. He loved slagging off his Spurs mates."

Ciaran had planned to travel to Australia for a year at the end of this year.

"He was a lovely boy and he will be badly missed," his father said.