OUTRAGED relatives of a notorious IRA bombing which claimed nine lives demanded a fresh investigation after it emerged the police, Government and Catholic Church conspired to protect the prime suspect, a Catholic priest.Relatives of some of the victims called for a renewed effort to catch those bombers who are still alive.
They also called on the government and Catholic Church to investigate fully their part in the cover-up.
Mark Eakin, who was blown off his feet in the blast that killed his younger sister Kathryn, 8, said while he wanted an apology from the government, that was not enough.
"An apology, yes, but more than an apology. I would like to see somebody brought to justice for this," he said.
Mr Eakin said the families needed to know how far up the conspiracy went.
"The Northern Ireland Office couldn’t make a decision on this on their own, there’s no way William Whitelaw made this decision on his own, it had to come from higher up," he said.
"I would like to ask the British government if they would now step in and investigate this thing further, give the PSNI of today, who are still trying to investigate, more resources.
"I would also like the Catholic Church to help in any way that it can with any information they haven’t previously released, for whatever reason God knows."
None of the relatives of the Catholic victims of the atrocity attended a press conference after the families were briefed by the Ombudsman’s team.
Mr Eakin, a Protestant, said he felt for the Catholics who had to hear the shocking revelations about a member of their faith.
"Claudy was a mix and match, there were five Catholics killed and only four Protestants," he said.
"It was a bad day for everybody and I just feel so sorry for some of the Catholic people that had to sit up there today and listen to what they had to listen to about their own Church. I feel they’ve been let down by their Church.
"I personally have been let down because I treat myself as part-Irish part-British, but I would say I am British.
"I feel I have been let down by the government that I pay my taxes to. They have not performed at all, they have totally washed their hands of Claudy and preferred to wash it under a carpet for 38 years."
Colin McClelland, whose great uncle James was killed, said: "Where this has got to go now, it’s got to go to Westminster, who ultimately made the decision to brush Fr Chesney under the carpet, forget about this situation and get the man out of the country."