Son of Scots helicopter crash victim urges Prime Minister's intervention
The son of a RAF 1994 Chinook helicopter crash victim has called for the Prime Minister to intervene and allow a public inquiry after visiting the site of the disaster.
On June 2 1994, RAF Chinook ZD576 was carrying 25 British intelligence personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to a conference at Fort George near Inverness when it crashed in foggy weather on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland.
All 25 passengers, made up of personnel from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army, were killed, along with the helicopter's four crew members.
Joel Hornby, whose father Major Anthony Hornby was one of the victims, visited a memorial cairn at the crash site on Saturday and again on Sunday.
He and other families have said they will press on with seeking a judicial review after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) dismissed their demands for a judge-led public inquiry into the incident, and have written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer asking him to intervene.
Mr Hornby, who was seven when his father died, visited the site with his one-year-old son and laid a wreath at the cairn along with a note which read 'Dad, we are still fighting for you'.
Speaking afterwards Mr Hornby, who lives in Berlin in Germany, said: 'We, the families of those lost, have still been denied answers over 30 years on.
'The MoD has rejected our request for a full judge-led public inquiry, and furthermore, has sealed documents relating to the crash for 100 years.
'We are requesting that the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer live up to his promises on duty of candour and overrule the MoD's decision.'
He has also urged people to sign a change.org petition calling on the Prime Minister to overturn the MoD decision and release the documents.
Following the crash, the Chinook's pilots, Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, were accused of gross negligence, but this verdict was overturned by the UK Government 17 years later following a campaign by the families.
A subsequent review by Lord Philip set out 'numerous concerns' raised by those who worked on the Chinooks, with the MoD's testing centre at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire declaring the Chinook Mk2 helicopters 'unairworthy' prior to the crash.
In a statement after the calls made by the families on Friday an MoD spokesperson said: 'The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families, friends and colleagues of all those who died.
'We understand that the lack of certainty about the cause of the crash has added to the distress of the families.
'We provided a detailed and considered response to the pre-action protocol letter stating the reasons why we cannot accept the demand for establishing a new public inquiry.
'It's unlikely that a public inquiry would identify any new evidence or reach new conclusions on the basis of existing evidence.
'The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review.'
The MoD has been asked to .
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
World's 'most dangerous' country in the world - and it's not one you'd expect
The Foreign Office advises against all travel to war-torn Yemen - and it's not hard to see why. It is a no-go zone for Brits with no embassy services and no evacuation procedures in place. Yemen has earned the ominous title of the world's most treacherous country in 2025, outstripping even war-ravaged Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya in terms of danger. The UK Foreign Office issues a stark warning for those considering a trip to the country: "Support for British people is severely limited in Yemen. British Embassy services in Sana'a are suspended, and all diplomatic and consular staff have been withdrawn. The UK government cannot help British nationals leaving Yemen. There are no evacuation procedures in place." According to the World Population Review's analysis, Yemen - which shares borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman - has surpassed Sudan, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria to claim the top spot. Owen Williams, a Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey Analyst at Sibylline Strategic Risk Group, offers insight into the country's precarious situation: "Yemen is often considered one of the most hazardous countries in the world due to the protracted civil war, widespread food shortages, military interventions, and a collapse of public infrastructure." Mr Williams explains that the instability is in part due to the Houthi rebels' insurgency against the internationally recognised government. The group's slogan, the sarkha, is a chilling call to arms: "God is great, death to America, death to Israel, curse on the Jews, victory to Islam." Since ousting the previous government in 2014, the group, which remains unlisted as a terrorist organisation in the UK, has taken control of much of northwest Yemen, including the capital Sana'a. The ongoing clash between the government and insurgents has plunged the nation into a severe humanitarian crisis. Mr Williams pointed out that "Yemen was already in a difficult position before the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023", but the regional tensions have since intensified. He explained: "Following the October 7 attacks, as a member of Iran's Axis of Resistance, the Houthis began to target shipping in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, as well as launching attacks against Israel. "This resulted in a US-Coalition intervention in Yemen, with many airstrikes targeting Houthi facilities and key infrastructure. These reached a peak in May 2025, when the US attacked a migrant detention facility. While the US has agreed a ceasefire with the Houthis, the risk of Israeli airstrikes persists." The group's maritime assaults, often from small vessels, have caused global shipping firms to divert their routes, leading ships to navigate around South Africa instead. Mr Williams has issued a stark warning to Brits against travelling to Yemen, highlighting that despite "there has likely been reduced media coverage of the situation in Yemen in recent years", Westerners remain highly susceptible to danger and abduction. One of the very few remaining tourist destinations in Yemen is Socotra, an archipelago that is unlike anywhere else. Sat 200 miles off the coast of mainland Yemen, close to the Horn of Africa, it is home to a unique array of plants and wildlife. UNESCO recognises Socotra Island as a site of universal importance due to its biodiversity, with nearly 40 percent of its plant species being exclusive to the island. The surrounding islands, including Socotra, are also notable for their land and sea bird breeding spots and unique coral reefs, which are home to over 700 species of coastal fish. While Socotora is covered by the Foreign Office's advice—meaning visitors travelling there do so at their own peril and risk having their insurance invalidated—the archipelago has a very low crime rate and has been little impacted by the 11-year war that continues to rage on the mainland. The main difficulty for those dreaming of visiting is how to get there. Janet Newenham is a professional traveller who has spent years visiting some of the world's most inaccessible places. Since visiting Iraq several years ago, Janet has organised small group trips for women to some of these places. Including, in February, to Socotora. "It's a paradise island off the coast of Yemen. People in the extreme travel community know about it, but a lot of people don't," Janet told the Mirror. "It's hard to get to. There are two flights a week from Abu Dhabi, but you can't book them in a normal way. You have to book them through WhatsApp. It's through Emirates Aviation, and it's a humanitarian charter flight. You have to WhatsApp them and then send a bank transfer. "It was absolutely incredible. I never knew there were places like that in Yemen. It has bright blue water, white sand beaches, and dragon's blood trees. You won't find them anywhere else in the world."
Spectator
30 minutes ago
- Spectator
Has Labour abandoned the steel industry?
We will no doubt hear lots of familiar excuses if later this week, as seems increasingly likely, the British steel industry faces 50 per cent tariffs on its exports to the United States. There hasn't been enough time. The White House has been too busy, and so has the Prime Minister. The trouble is, none of them make sense. And so when these tariffs kick in, the Labour government, which we might expect to defend a traditional heavy industry, will have abandoned steel to its fate. When the 9 July deadline for the suspension of President Trump's tariffs expires, we can expect chaos in the global trading system. The EU's over-confident and arrogant negotiators have failed to reach a deal, leaving every exporter in the bloc facing huge tariffs from Thursday onwards. Amid all that, it might be easy to miss a small but still significant problem. The suspension of full tariffs on British-made steel will also come to an end, and, without an agreement, the industry will also face huge levies. This could be catastrophic for the industry. 'Every day of delay costs our steelmakers dearly,' argued UK Steel, the trade body for the industry. 'Contracts slip away, investment plans stall and uncertainty freezes business decisions'. It could hardly come at a worse time. The industry has already been hit by a barrage of green levies and targets. It has to face some of the highest industrial electricity prices in the world. The Budget last year imposed higher National Insurance charges on every person it employs. The list goes on and on. British Steel has already been taken under emergency control by the government after its Chinese owners gave up on it, and with 50 per cent tariffs the rest of the industry may give up as well. And yet, despite that, the government has not had the energy or commitment to negotiate an exemption for the UK, even though other exporters will face just 10 per cent tariffs in the US. There is a bigger point than just steel. The UK's industrial base is being wiped out, with almost every week bringing news of yet another closure. Last week it was the Prax Lindsey oil refinery and in the week before, Nippon Electric Glass announced the closure of the UK's largest fibreglass factory. Starmer's Labour government should be defending the interests of the people who worked in these kinds of jobs. Instead, it is complacently allowing the steel industry to be wiped out – and doesn't appear to care much about any other manufacturers either.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
After Keir Starmer's year of humiliation, Anas Sarwar will be feeling the heat in Holyrood
Comment CHRIS DEERIN After Keir Starmer's year of humiliation, Anas Sarwar will be feeling the heat in Holyrood Read on as Chris Deerin also explores the success of Reform in Scotland
