Birmingham Pub Bombings campaigners send cake to 'crass' police

Campaigners delivered a cake to West Midlands Police headquarters (part of the image has been obscured for legal reasons)

Birmingham pub bombings families have sent a cake to police with an iced message expressing frustration with investigations - six years to the day after a development in the case.

Monday's gesture marked the anniversary of an IRA member admitting being part of a group involved in the attacks.

Twenty-one people were killed when bombs exploded in two city centre pubs on 21 November 1974.

Police said they remained committed to bringing perpetrators to justice.

The cake referenced Michael Hayes's interview with the BBC on 10 July 2017.

In it, he refused to say whether he personally planted the bombs at the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern in the Town, but said he was part of the group involved and apologised for the loss of life. He has since denied being responsible for the bombings.

He also claimed to have personally defused a third bomb left on Birmingham's Hagley Road after learning of the death toll.

Julie Hambleton, whose sister Maxine was killed in the Tavern in the Town, is a leading member of the Justice4the21 campaign group and led a demonstration outside of West Midlands Police headquarters in Birmingham city centre during which the cake was delivered to the force.

She said: "Where else in the world would somebody be able to admit that they take collective responsibility for England's biggest mass murder in the 20th Century and nothing is done by the police?"

The cake's iced message read: "Michael Hayes pub bombings confession: six years old today."

Six innocent men - known as the Birmingham Six - were released in 1991 when their convictions for the bombings were quashed. No-one has since been criminally convicted over the atrocities.

In addition to the fatalities, 220 people were injured in the explosions.

Michael Hayes told an interviewer he defused a third device after seeing the casualties

Ms Hambleton told the BBC: "Our aim is to highlight the irony, the crassness and the constant contempt that the families are treated with just for wanting truth, justice and accountability.

"If we don't fight, what hope is there for future generations?"

The Justice4the21 group is calling for Mr Hayes to be extradited from Ireland, where he lives, to be questioned by West Midlands Police.

During landmark inquests in March 2019, Mr Hayes was named by a convicted IRA bomber as being one of those responsible for the explosions, which he denies. Three other men were named.

At the conclusion of the proceedings in April that year, a jury found that an "inadequate" IRA warning call to authorities caused or contributed to the deaths of the 21 - ruled by the hearing to have been unlawfully killed.

Campaigners said they were "constantly pushing for truth, justice and accountability"

In November 2022, West Midlands Police submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) about an unnamed individual's suspected role in the bombings.

The campaign group says it is yet to receive an update from the CPS which has been approached by the BBC for comment.

West Midlands Police said it remained "committed to bringing to justice those responsible for the attacks.

A force statement said: "Last year we submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service resulting from our investigation into the Birmingham pub bombings for them to determine whether an individual should be charged in connection with the events.

"We will continue to keep the families updated on all significant developments."

The statement added: "Individuals can be extradited from the Republic of Ireland but the grounds for any such request must comply fully with the requirements of the Irish Extradition Acts."