A UK coroner has ordered fresh inquests into the IRA Birmingham pub bombings in 1974.
The decision was taken by Birmingham and Solihull senior coroner Louise Hunt following several review hearings and a campaign by the relatives of the 21 people killed when bombs exploded in two pubs within ten minutes of each other in November 1974.
More than 180 people were injured in the attack.
Last month, Ms Hunt said she had received significant and sensitive new information about concerns security services might have known about the bombings in advance.
During the recent hearings, families of some of those killed in the blasts in the Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town pubs put forward a claim that the British state had knowledge of the attacks planned by the IRA before they were carried out.
In the days after the bombings, inquests into the deaths were opened but immediately closed without any finding because the men thought to be responsible were in police custody.
Those men were the Birmingham Six who would have their convictions quashed in 1991 following one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice in British legal history.
Families of those who died in the bombings have campaigned for years to have the inquests reopened in the hope that it will shed new light on those responsible for the murders.
Following today's decision, Julie Hambleton, whose sister Maxine died in the attack, demanded the "gutless" individuals responsible for the attacks give themselves up.
Julie Hambleton, relative of Birmingham pub victim: 'This is way beyond our expectations...' https://t.co/4RbDNKdG4s https://t.co/u7eBRODUwY
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 1, 2016
Also speaking outside court, Paddy Hill, one of the six men wrongly convicted of the bombings, welcomed the decision to order new inquests.
He said: "I've known the truth all along. It's about time the British public knew the truth." But he said he was "sceptical" the truth would actually emerge.
"Birmingham police couldn't spell the word truth. They're rotten," he told reporters.
West Midlands Chief Constable Dave Thompson has pledged to support the new inquests, saying the botched initial investigation was "the most serious failing in this force's history".
Paddy Hill, Birmingham Six: 'It’s the first step on the road to, hopefully, getting a bit nearer the truth' https://t.co/AExyYALVhK
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 1, 2016
Evidence police missed warnings, says coroner
Setting out the reasons for her ruling, Ms Hunt said there was evidence that West Midlands Police had missed two potential warnings of the bomb attacks, including a comment made by men linked to IRA that "Birmingham would be hit next week".
That overheard conversation was reported to police on 10 November 1974, but Ms Hunt said there was "no indication that the police took any active steps in response to it".
On the day of the attack, a second tip-off to the police was not followed up, she added.
Ms Hunt went on: "I have serious concerns that advanced notice of the bombs may have been available to the police and that they failed to take the necessary steps to protect life."
Concluding, she said: "This is specifically in respect of the two matters I have identified.
"It is only in respect of that issue that I consider there is sufficient reason to resume an inquest to investigate the circumstances of these deaths. So I am satisfied that the inquest should be resumed."
She said claims that police were protecting a mole in the IRA cell were unfounded, and neither did the emergency services response that night contribute to the deaths.
No date has yet been set for the resumption of the inquest, and the coroner warned that given the passage of time and death of many individuals involved in the original investigation, it might prove inconclusive ion some respects.
