Relatives of McGurk’s Bar victims lodge complaint with Police Ombudsman

Relatives of some of those killed in the bombing of McGurk’s Bar have lodged a complaint of maladministration with the Police Ombudsman.

Fifteen people were killed in the blast at the north Belfast bar in December 1971.

The attack was carried out by the UVF but at the time security forces blamed the IRA, prompting speculation the dead might have included IRA members carrying the device.

A UVF man was convicted for his part in the attack in 1978.

A Police Ombudsman’s report in 2011 said RUC officers had shown an “investigative bias” with the original misattribution of blame.

On Wednesday, the families revealed they have lodged a complaint of maladministration with the Police Ombudsman, claiming discrimination and that Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson’s Office’s withheld evidence from the families.

The families also alleged delay and omissions or commissions that resulted in injustice.

They said they lodged an 87-page book of new evidence, comparative analyses and research with the Police Ombudsman on Wednesday.

They have requested the Police Ombudsman’s office carries out an internal review and writes a supplementary report on the bombing.

Ciaran MacAirt, grandson of Kathleen Irvine, who was killed in the blast, claimed the office of the Police Ombudsman is “wilfully withholding information” around the bombing.

A spokesman for the ombudsman said: “The Police Ombudsman has received the complaint, which she will fully and carefully consider before issuing a response to the serious matters alleged.”