Victims' group welcomes on-the-run decision

The scrapping of legislation which would have allowed on-the-run terror suspects to return to Northern Ireland without fear of jail was warmly welcomed by a leading victims’ group.

William Frazer, of Families Acting for Innocent Relatives [FAIR], said: “I am glad he has done this – it’s about the only sensible thing he has done since he came to Northern Ireland.”

But he condemned Mr Hain for his reasons for scrapping the legislation.

He said: “It is ridiculous that Sinn Féin had to say they were opposed to it before the (British) government acted.

“This legislation should never have been introduced in the first place.”

At last the British government had listened to the voices of the victims of terrorist violence, he said.

“The victims’ groups on both sides have been punching above their weight. People are sick and tired of they way they have been treated.”

He had gone to the Equality Commission over the legislation, he said, and been told it would have broken the British government’s own laws if introduced.

The government knew that his group was close to taking action against the legislation in the courts and that it would have lost, he said.

Mr Frazer made clear he would not let his guard down.

“FAIR will continue to lobby and press the government because they will try to bring in some other dirty deal,” he predicted.