Body set up to investigate Troubles cases to probe 1974 Guildford pub bombings

One of the first investigations carried out by a new body tasked with probing outstanding cases from the Northern Ireland Troubles will be into the 1974 Guildford pub bombings.

The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information (ICRIR) has registered 85 inquiries since becoming operational earlier this year.

It has now confirmed it has accepted a request to investigate the atrocity in which four soldiers and a civilian were killed in a blast at the Horse and Groom pub in Guildford, Surrey, on October 5 1974.

Another bomb detonated 30 minutes later at the Seven Stars.

The Guildford Four and Maguire Seven were wrongly convicted of the attacks in one of the UK’s biggest miscarriages of justice.

An IRA terror cell later claimed responsibility.

The ICRIR was created by the Conservative government’s controversial Legacy Act which halted scores of civil cases and inquests into Troubles deaths.

Bereaved families, victims and certain public authorities can instead request the ICRIR carry out an investigation.

However, opposition to the new commission led to protests and claims that access to justice had been shut down.

The ICRIR announced on Monday that, since becoming operational in May, it has registered 85 inquiries from victims, survivors and families about the possibility of an investigation into their injury or the death of a loved one.

In an update to its work, the ICRIR also confirmed that, of those inquiries, eight have been accepted for investigation and are in the information recovery stage.

The body is led by retired judge Sir Declan Morgan, a former lord chief justice for Northern Ireland.

The Chief Commissioner said the update “reflects the commission’s values about being open and accountable, and above all the focus on delivering for those who have come to the commission seeking answers”.

Sir Declan said all at the commission are committed to following the approach the design framework sets out so the body meets what it has promised.

“We are now at a stage where people have come forward and put their trust in the commission to take their requests forward. We will now do so in line with our values and core principles,” he said.

“We are moving into the next phase of our work as the serious and important task of investigation begins.

“In doing this we must meet the commitments that we have made to each person who comes to us, through our open and published policies, and through our trauma and resiliency informed model.”

Commissioner for investigations Peter Sheridan said: “Many of the individuals and families that the commission will meet will have experienced harm and suffering and may have waited many years to find out more about what they and their loved ones went through.

“We recognise the seriousness of the work that we are undertaking and understand that how we do things is as important as what we do.”