Relatives of more than 100 victims of Ulster loyalist violence have begun a landmark legal action alleging members of the security forces in Northern Ireland colluded in the murders of their loved ones.
Their groundbreaking case in Belfast’s high court centres on the so-called Glenanne gang, a unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force based around the Co Armagh village during the 1970s. It is alleged the Glenanne UVF unit had strong links to British soldiers and police officers during the Troubles, and helped set up many of its victims.
Among the families of the victims were relations of the Miami Showband, a pop group from Dublin who were murdered on their way back towards the Irish border in 1975. Three members of the Ulster Defence Regiment were eventually convicted for their part in the attack.
Through the legal team the families allege that the security forces were fully aware of planned attacks carried out by the Glenanne gang during the Troubles.
Belfast high court on Thursday heard a statement from a senior investigating officer from the historical enquiries team – a police unit set up to investigate the unsolved killings of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
He told the court that he had compiled a draft report into collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and security force members in mid-Ulster in the 1970s. The officer said it was 150 pages long and 80% complete.
He said he had submitted it in 2010 and, so far, has had no explanation as to why it has been shelved.
