Flanagan apologises to families of Omagh victims

Former RUC and PSNI chief constable Ronnie Flanagan has publicly apologised for the first time to the families of the victims of the Omagh bombing.

Mr Flanagan was chief constable at the time of the 1998 Real IRA attack and led an investigation that has been heavily criticised by the Police Ombudsman and in the courts.

Many of the Omagh families have been bitterly critical of him as a result of the blunders.

Responding to the latest development, Michael Gallagher, who lost his son Aidan in the bombing, said he was less interested in apologies than in securing a public inquiry into the atrocity.

He said Ronnie Flanagan was just one of the people involved in a massive investigation that has already lasted nine-and-a-half years.