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| Birmingham pub bombings: 'IRA mole tipped off police' | Birmingham pub bombings: 'IRA mole tipped off police' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An IRA informant may have told police about the 1974 Birmingham pub bombs before they exploded, a coroner heard. | An IRA informant may have told police about the 1974 Birmingham pub bombs before they exploded, a coroner heard. |
| Ashley Underwood QC, who represents some of the victims' families, told a hearing into whether to reopen inquests for the 21 victims there was "reason to believe it's the case". | Ashley Underwood QC, who represents some of the victims' families, told a hearing into whether to reopen inquests for the 21 victims there was "reason to believe it's the case". |
| Birmingham and Solihull coroner Louise Hunt is hearing an application to resume inquests into the 1974 atrocity. | Birmingham and Solihull coroner Louise Hunt is hearing an application to resume inquests into the 1974 atrocity. |
| It is widely acknowledged the IRA was behind the bombings. | It is widely acknowledged the IRA was behind the bombings. |
| Ms Hunt is hearing three days of submissions for and against the inquests being resumed. A decision is expected in two weeks. | Ms Hunt is hearing three days of submissions for and against the inquests being resumed. A decision is expected in two weeks. |
| More on this story and others Birmingham and Black Country | More on this story and others Birmingham and Black Country |
| Mr Underwood said West Midlands Police officers may have wrongly prosecuted six men - who became known as the Birmingham Six and whose convictions were quashed in 1991 - knowing they were innocent in order to protect their "mole" and cover up their prior knowledge of the attacks. | Mr Underwood said West Midlands Police officers may have wrongly prosecuted six men - who became known as the Birmingham Six and whose convictions were quashed in 1991 - knowing they were innocent in order to protect their "mole" and cover up their prior knowledge of the attacks. |
| "There is reason to believe the gang of murderers had an informant in their ranks and that the police knew in advance. | "There is reason to believe the gang of murderers had an informant in their ranks and that the police knew in advance. |
| "And there is reason to believe the police had sufficient time, between the telephone warnings and the first bomb going off, to evacuate - and that the emergency services could have arrived earlier - but that records about those things were falsified." | "And there is reason to believe the police had sufficient time, between the telephone warnings and the first bomb going off, to evacuate - and that the emergency services could have arrived earlier - but that records about those things were falsified." |
| Arriving at the hearing, one of the six, Paddy Hill, said: "We've had 41 years of nothing but lies. I want the truth as well, we never get justice but the one thing we can get is the thing we deserve the most, and that's the truth." | Arriving at the hearing, one of the six, Paddy Hill, said: "We've had 41 years of nothing but lies. I want the truth as well, we never get justice but the one thing we can get is the thing we deserve the most, and that's the truth." |
| Jeremy Johnson QC, for West Midlands Police, said its chief constable has no "principled objection" to the resumption of the inquests - but questioned whether Ms Hunt had jurisdiction to hear them. | Jeremy Johnson QC, for West Midlands Police, said its chief constable has no "principled objection" to the resumption of the inquests - but questioned whether Ms Hunt had jurisdiction to hear them. |
| Ms Hunt had requested Mr Johnson provide her with a list of "lost" evidence, including an unexploded third bomb. | Ms Hunt had requested Mr Johnson provide her with a list of "lost" evidence, including an unexploded third bomb. |
| A separate police review of evidence in the case, ending in 2014, discovered that of the 168 original exhibits listed for the Birmingham Six trial, 35 items could not be located. | A separate police review of evidence in the case, ending in 2014, discovered that of the 168 original exhibits listed for the Birmingham Six trial, 35 items could not be located. |
| Mr Johnson said the possibility of fresh forensic evidence was now being pursued with the help of the Army. | Mr Johnson said the possibility of fresh forensic evidence was now being pursued with the help of the Army. |
| He said police were also looking at information about the bombings in a book published by a former member of the IRA and an account given to officers last August by a former firefighter, Alan Hill. | He said police were also looking at information about the bombings in a book published by a former member of the IRA and an account given to officers last August by a former firefighter, Alan Hill. |
| Claire Dobbin, on behalf of the Police Federation, said the organisation did not oppose a resumption of the inquests but argued there was no legal justification for it to be reconvened 41 years after the bombings. | |
| Ms Hunt will also hear from the families of three of the people murdered in the attacks - Maxine Hambleton, Trevor Thrupp and James Craig - as well as other "interested persons". | |
| An inquest was opened and adjourned in 1975 but, because the case was subject to a criminal investigation that resulted in the conviction of six men, it was never completed. | An inquest was opened and adjourned in 1975 but, because the case was subject to a criminal investigation that resulted in the conviction of six men, it was never completed. |
| The families argue the inquests should now be resumed. | The families argue the inquests should now be resumed. |
| Analysis: Phil Mackie, BBC Midlands correspondent | Analysis: Phil Mackie, BBC Midlands correspondent |
| This could be the last chance, in their lifetimes, for campaigners to have evidence heard in public which wasn't available in 1974. They'll hope coroner Louise Hunt will agree the inquest should be reopened and key witnesses, who the families believe can identify the bombers, be called. | This could be the last chance, in their lifetimes, for campaigners to have evidence heard in public which wasn't available in 1974. They'll hope coroner Louise Hunt will agree the inquest should be reopened and key witnesses, who the families believe can identify the bombers, be called. |
| West Midlands Police says the investigation remains active but there's not enough evidence for a fresh prosecution. | West Midlands Police says the investigation remains active but there's not enough evidence for a fresh prosecution. |
| Calls for a public inquiry have fallen on deaf ears, which means an inquest remains the best chance for the families to discover who was responsible for the attacks. | Calls for a public inquiry have fallen on deaf ears, which means an inquest remains the best chance for the families to discover who was responsible for the attacks. |
| Ordinarily a coroner's job is to determine how, where and when a person died, as well as their identity. In this case all of those facts are known, but the coroner can also investigate the circumstances of someone's death. | Ordinarily a coroner's job is to determine how, where and when a person died, as well as their identity. In this case all of those facts are known, but the coroner can also investigate the circumstances of someone's death. |
| The victims' relatives are pinning their hopes on a resumption, and that it will be as far-reaching as the Hillsborough Inquest. | The victims' relatives are pinning their hopes on a resumption, and that it will be as far-reaching as the Hillsborough Inquest. |
| Birmingham pub bombings inquests: What we know | Birmingham pub bombings inquests: What we know |