The jury has been sworn in for the long-awaited inquests into the Birmingham pub bombings.
It follows a long-running campaign by the families of the 21 people who were murdered in the two IRA bombings in 1974.
A further 220 people were injured in what was the most
The Birmingham Six were wrongly imprisoned for the attacks in 1975 - but no one else has been prosecuted since they were freed in 1991.
Birmingham Pub Bombings
The inquest will not examine who was responsible for the bombings – after coroner Peter Thornton QC said he would not risk the proceedings "taking on the role of a proxy criminal trial."
He has previously ruled that the inquest will examine whether the British state or its agents failed in its duty to protect the victims
This afternoon he warned the jury that their role is to decide: Who was killed, how they were killed, when they died and where they died.
Families of the victims have previously warned that any inquest that did not include potential suspects would be “utterly redundant and a waste of tax payers money.”
Jayne, Julie and Brian Hambleton, who lost their sister Maxine in the bombings, arrive for the start of the Birmingham pub bombings inquest, 25-02-2019. Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire/PA Images
"Momentous day"
Speaking outside court this morning, Paul Bodmin whose father Stanley was among those killed said: “It is not quite what we wanted in the first place but we are getting there.”
“It is a stepping stone but it is a momentous day.
“We have been fighting for this for several years.”
A sign for the Justice for the 21 ahead of the start of the Birmingham pub bombings inquest at Birmingham Civil Justice Centre.
Birmingham Six
Paddy Hill is one of the Birmingham Six who spent nearly 17 years in prison before their convictions were quashed.
“I’m still a very angry man,” he said.
“It ruined my life.
“Not only ruined my life but it ruined my parents lives, my brother and sisters my wife, my six kids – it ruined all our lives, there is no help for any of us.”
The individual inquests could last up to six weeks and will being with a “pen portrait” of each person killed.
Mr Thornton is due to give his closing address on March 28th.
