NO REPORT ON RUC REACTION
No report on RUC reaction
THE Coroner at the Omagh Inquests has said he will not be sending a report to the Secretary of State or the head of the RUC about the actions of the police in Omagh on the day of the bomb.
John Leckey said he had been asked by some of the families who had raised the matter about evacuation procedures and the number of police personnel in the town on the 15th August.
He said he had considered the matter at great length, but felt he did not have good reason to do so on this occasion.
"I think it goes without saying that after a major incident like with such a loss of life I would imagine there must be a lot of soul searching generally within the RUC about what happened on the day. What the reaction was like to it and can lessons be learned for the future".
The Coroner said the chief constable has been represented throughout the hearings by counsel, Stephen Ritchie, who he felt certain would be reporting back in full to Ronnie Flanagan about the issues raised by families.
"I accept that the RUC is a responsible body and not only must they deal with law and order but within their broad remit must be the safety of the public in such incidents where the bomb in Omagh occurred.
"I am content not to formally exercise my reporting powers but to leave it to the chief constable to react if he feel that the case is appropriate".
Mr Leckey said he was grateful to the legal representatives "for teasing out a lot of relevant issues" and said he had paid very great attention to them before making his decision.
THE Coroner at the Omagh Inquests has said he will not be sending a report to the Secretary of State or the head of the RUC about the actions of the police in Omagh on the day of the bomb.
John Leckey said he had been asked by some of the families who had raised the matter about evacuation procedures and the number of police personnel in the town on the 15th August.
He said he had considered the matter at great length, but felt he did not have good reason to do so on this occasion.
"I think it goes without saying that after a major incident like with such a loss of life I would imagine there must be a lot of soul searching generally within the RUC about what happened on the day. What the reaction was like to it and can lessons be learned for the future".
The Coroner said the chief constable has been represented throughout the hearings by counsel, Stephen Ritchie, who he felt certain would be reporting back in full to Ronnie Flanagan about the issues raised by families.
"I accept that the RUC is a responsible body and not only must they deal with law and order but within their broad remit must be the safety of the public in such incidents where the bomb in Omagh occurred.
"I am content not to formally exercise my reporting powers but to leave it to the chief constable to react if he feel that the case is appropriate".
Mr Leckey said he was grateful to the legal representatives "for teasing out a lot of relevant issues" and said he had paid very great attention to them before making his decision.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1496
Published Date: 05-Oct-00
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