Minister 'knew nothing' of cover-up

Nine people were killed in the no-warning bomb

A politician who was a junior minister at the Northern Ireland Office at the time of the Claudy bombing has said he knew nothing of an alleged cover-up over the involvement of a Catholic priest in the attack.

Nine people, three of them children, died when three bombs exploded in the County Londonderry village in 1972.

On Friday the police said a priest was involved in the bombing.

It also emerged that both the church's Cardinal at the time, William Conway, and the then Secretary of State, William Whitelaw, met to discuss the matter.

DEC 1972: WAS THERE A COVER-UP?

Cardinal Conway met Viscount Whitelaw

Whitelaw expressed disgust at priest's actions

Cardinal said priest behaved "improperly"

Cardinal suggested transfer of priest

Father Chesney moved to Malin Head parish

Should there be an inquiry? Click here to have your say

Speaking on Monday, David Howell, who is now Lord Howell, said he knew nothing about the allegations and added that he did not think a public inquiry was the answer.

"Better than an inquiry, let the police find who was responsible and charge them.

"Look at Omagh - we still haven't pinned down who committed that atrocity so there's plenty of unfinished business in hunting down criminals and multiple murderers and bringing them to justice.

"That applies to Claudy and it applies to everywhere," said Lord Howell.

Inquiry call

On Saturday Sinn Fein's Mitchel McLaughlin agreed with unionists that there may be a case for an inquiry into the events surrounding the 1972 IRA bombing.

He said the relatives of those killed had the same right as the families of those killed on Bloody Sunday to find out what happened to their loved ones.

Mr McLaughlin's comments followed a call by Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble for a public inquiry into the bombing.

Merle Eakin: "It is a very emotional time"

The Catholic Church said it was horrified by the allegations.

The families of the victims spoke of their distress on Friday after being told about the implication of a Catholic priest in the atrocity.

Merle Eakin, who lost her daughter Kathryn in the attack, said: "We are just hopeful that the people who are still alive will be brought to justice - that is what we really want."

Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid said a search of 1972 papers clearly showed that a parish priest in south Derry was a Provisional IRA member actively involved in terrorism.

He said the search also showed the priest provided an alibi for a person suspected of playing a prominent role in the atrocity.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has not identified the priest, but he is believed to be Father James Chesney, who died in 1980.

He was never questioned in connection with the attack which the IRA denied carrying out.

Police reopened the case at the beginning of October after a letter emerged that alleged that Father Chesney was involved in the bombings.