Guildford Pub Bombings: Medics tracked down in pub bombings inquest

Two bombs went off in Guildford on 5 October 1974

Emergency responders who attended the Guildford pub bombings are being tracked down by the resumed inquest.

A pre inquest review heard medical professionals are among those being traced while a pathologist has since died.

Doctors and paramedics are to be contacted as part of the second tranche of disclosure from police, health trusts and the Ministry of Defence.

Meanwhile, the BBC made an application for access to documents.

The hearing, held at Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking, was told the first tranche of disclosure looked at people who were in the Horse and Groom, the first pub to be bombed by the IRA on 5 October 1974.

The second tranche looked at the work of emergency responders that night.

A third tranche, yet to be disclosed, will look at people who were in the area at the time.

BBC application

The inquest was told soldiers' families and families of the Guildford four who live as far afield as the north west of England, Dublin and Belfast are relying on media reports to scrutinise proceedings.

Jude Bunting, who put the application forward on behalf of the BBC, said: "They want justice to be seen to be done."

A further hearing will be held in December, while coroner Richard Travers is expected to rule on the BBC's application.

Four soldiers and a civilian died when the IRA blew up two pubs in the Surrey town.

Eleven people - the Guildford Four and Maguire Seven - were falsely accused in what became known as one of Britain's biggest miscarriages of justice.

The IRA's Balcombe Street unit later admitted responsibility for the attacks, but no-one else was prosecuted.

The hearing was also told the Guildford case is relevant to those who were involved in the Woolwich and Birmingham pub bombings, which happened later that year.

Twenty-eight people died and 320 were injured during five bombings in Guildford, Woolwich and Birmingham, and 17 were wrongly convicted.