Decision on possible new Omagh bomb investigation to be made in January

Counsel for Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris disclosed the new timeline in an ongoing legal battle by one of those bereaved in the Real IRA attack.

Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Aiden was among those killed in the August 1998 atrocity, is campaigning for a full public inquiry.

Last year a judge recommended fresh probes on both sides of the Irish border, identifying a legal duty under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Lord Justice Horner has already ruled that the bombing could arguably have been thwarted if police had received all available intelligence.

Since then, however, Mr Gallagher has returned to court to challenge alleged government delays and failures to act on those findings.

Amid the recent political upheaval at Westminster, the date for a final determination has slipped back.

But in court yesterday Paul McLaughlin KC revealed: “We anticipate a decision from the secretary of state sometime around mid-January.”

Based on the revised time frame, a hearing of the legal action was put back to April next year.

Mr Gallagher’s barrister, Hugh Southey KC, expressed concern at the continued wait.

“There’s been outstanding delay in breach of Article 2 for some time, it’s slightly strange to see why this is necessary,” he submitted.

Urging both sides to keep working, Lord Justice Horner pencilled in a further review in early February. He told Mr McLaughlin: “I expect you to be able to inform the court what the decision is. I want to get this case resolved finally, let’s move as quickly as we can.”

No-one has ever been held criminally responsible for the terrorist attack which inflicted the greatest single loss of life during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Twenty-nine people – including a woman pregnant with twins – were killed in the outrage, and hundreds more injured.

Initial proceedings centred on claims that a range of intelligence from British security agents, MI5 and RUC officers could have been drawn together to foil the car bomb plot.