It’s been called the worst unsolved mass murder in modern British history. Why has no one been brought to justice?

As we approached the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham Pub Bombings, a new podcast series from the BBC was launched to tell the complete story of one the worst terror attacks to ever happen on British soil.

In Detail: The Pub Bombings is a 12-part digital series available exclusively on BBC Sounds. The first six episodes were published on Monday 4 November.

This series explores the impact of the bombs on the countless people affected such as family members of victims, the Birmingham Six and their families, the Irish community in general, and the city itself.

It asks not only who bombed Birmingham, but why has no one been rightfully brought to justice? The series wraps 50 years of an evolving story together for the first time and positions the bombings in the wider context of the Troubles and the Good Friday Agreement. 

Produced, researched and presented for BBC Sounds by journalist Ed Barlow, who also produced the BBC FOUR documentary Birmingham Irish I Am, In Detail: The Pub Bombings, tells the story of one of the worst terrorist attacks on British soil. It also features never before heard footage of one of the men accused of the bombings and harrowing personal testimony, revealing how countless lives have been impacted, including those of the Irish community in and around Birmingham.

In November 1974 – an era when the IRA had brought its battle to the streets of Britain – two bombs went off in busy city centre pubs. Twenty-one people died. Hundreds more were injured.

This series goes back to 1974 and brings the story up to the present day and the ongoing calls for a public inquiry. With one of Britain’s worst miscarriages of justice at its heart, as well as lost evidence, IRA informants and allegations of government cover up, this is a story which keeps audiences guessing.

There are also interviews with veteran BBC broadcaster Michael Buerk, who reported on the night of the attack and the trial of the Birmingham Six.

Ed says: “Many of a certain age will know elements of this case – or remember aspects of it - but there are many who simply won’t know anything about it at all – and that was one of the reasons for making this series. We wanted to make sure that people don’t forget the fact that 21 people died in the most awful circumstances and highlight the fact that there are still more questions than answers about what really happened that night in 1974. The ripple effects of those bombs are still being felt to this day, in all sorts of ways, by so many people.”

BBC Radio’s Executive Editor Chris Pegg, who commissioned the series, says: “This is such an important part of the history of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. This is the first time the whole story has been told in its entirety. Listeners will be taken from 1970s Birmingham to modern day Belfast thanks to some first-class storytelling.”

In Detail: The Pub Bombings is available exclusively on BBC Sounds now.

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