Omagh bombing: Father of victim Aiden Gallagher welcomes inquiry

The father of one of the men killed in the Omagh bombing has welcomed the decision by the government to hold a independent statutory inquiry into the incident.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris made the announcement to the House of Commons on Thursday.

Aiden Gallagher, 21, was one of 29 people who died in the County Tyrone town on 15 August 1998.

His father, Michael, said it was a necessary exercise for families to go through.

"It's going to be a difficult process, but if we don't have this process, for the rest of our lives we're going to be wondering, what if?" he said.