Omagh fury at ruling on Real IRA

Outraged Omagh bomb victims have hit out at a judge's ruling that the terror group behind the atrocity were not an illegal organisation.

The Government immediately pledged to challenge the landmark assessment of the Real IRA.

Mr Justice Girvan delivered his verdict at Belfast Crown Court as he cleared four men of membership of the republican faction.

The judge said the organisation was not on a list of outlawed bodies - meaning no one can be convicted of Real IRA membership alone.

His ruling stunned Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was among 29 people murdered in the 1998 Real IRA attack on Omagh and whose story is included in a docudrama on Channel 4 tonight.

Mr Gallagher said: "This is an organisation that's hell-bent on creating death and devastation. It leaves you without words."