WARRINGTON South MP Sarah Hall has called for justice for the families of the Warrington bombing atrocity, which claimed the lives of 12-year-old Tim Parry and three-year-old Johnathan Ball more than 30 years ago.
More than 50 other people were injured by the IRA bomb attack on Bridge Street in March 1993, with a third victim, Bronwen Vickers later dying from her injuries.
The Warrington South MP has today urged the Government to take stronger action to deliver long-awaited justice for families affected by Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism, including those in Warrington who have lived with unanswered questions for more than three decades.
During Northern Ireland Questions in Parliament, Ms. Hall pressed the Secretary of State to implement the key recommendations from both the Shawcross Report and the 2018 Northern Ireland APPG, and to work across government to secure a fair and just settlement for victims.
Her intervention follows yesterday’s Second Reading of the new Troubles Bill. She warned that, for too many families, recognition alone is not enough, and that meaningful action is now overdue.
Ms Hall referenced the experience of Colin and Wendy Parry, whose son Tim was 12 when he was killed in the 1993 Warrington bombing alongside three-year-old Johnathan Ball. In the years since, the Parrys have built a remarkable legacy through the Peace Foundation, campaigning tirelessly for understanding, dialogue, and alternatives to violence in conflict.
The Bridge Street memorial
The MP is calling on the Government to confront the reality that Libyan-supplied weapons and explosives were used in attacks across the UK, and to demonstrate real commitment to securing justice for those affected. She is urging ministers to establish a proper working group involving victims’ lawyers and to finally resolve long-standing questions around the £13bn in frozen Libyan assets held in the UK. She has also highlighted the need to consider changes to domestic law or amendments to UN Resolution 1970 (2011) if that is what justice requires.
Ms Hall added: “Some families in Warrington have lived with unanswered questions for more than thirty years. Colin and Wendy Parry are among them. Their son Tim was just 12 when he was killed in the 1993 Warrington bombing alongside three-year-old Johnathan Ball.
“They set up the Peace Foundation in their memory and have campaigned tirelessly to build bridges and find alternatives to violence in conflict.
“Today, I called on the Government to act on the Shawcross Report and the 2018 Northern Ireland APPG recommendations, and to work across government to finally deliver justice for victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism. And we shouldn’t lose sight of what that actually meant, these terrorists used Libyan weapons and explosives in atrocities across our country.
“If the Government want to make this right, they need to act, not just acknowledge it. That means a proper working group with victims’ lawyers. It means finally confronting the question of the £13bn in frozen Libyan assets. And it means doing what’s right, whether through changes to our domestic law or pressing for amendments UN Resolution 1970 (2011).
“If something is unfair, we should say so. And if something is wrong, we should put it right.
“Families like the Parrys have waited long enough. I’ll keep standing up for them and for every family still waiting for truth, accountability and justice.”
