Hyde Park Bombing: Families Launch Campaign To Fund Civil Action

Families of those killed in the 1982 Hyde Park bombing launched a campaign to raise funds for a civil prosecution.

The relatives gathered at Westminster to publicise their actions against chief suspect John Downey, who denies charges. 

Criminal proceedings against him collapsed in 2014, when it was revealed he had mistakenly received a so-called “On the Run” letter saying he was not wanted by any UK police force.

Since then, nobody has been convicted over the attack and the families have been unable to secure public funding for legal action.

Mark Tipper, brother of Tpr Simon Tipper, said they have been made victims three times, 'by the bomb, by Tony Blair and by bureaucrats of the Legal Aid Agency': 

"Over the years, after every terror attack, we’ve seen governments pledge the victims and survivors every support. (...) The tragedy is that, all too quickly and often, these commitments are forgotten."

In the absence of legal aid, a crowdfunding page has been launched to raise £40,000 for the prosecution. 

The Household Cavalrymen of the Blues and Royals were riding to the Changing of the Guard ceremony through Hyde Park when a nail bomb exploded on 20 July, 1982.

Four soldiers were killed, Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Roy Bright, Lieutenant Dennis Daly, Trooper Simon Tipper, and Lance Corporal Young, and 18 were injured, including six civilians.

Seven horses also died, while one, Sefton, survived terrible injuries.