The North's Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, has found there is no evidence that the murder of the last British soldier killed by the IRA in Northern Ireland could have been prevented.
She reported, however, that the car used in the murder of Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick (23) was under surveillance at the time of the killing.
She launched her investigation following claims by a former undercover British soldier who used the pseudonym Tom Buchanan. He told the Sunday Times in the summer of 2004 that colleagues in a specialist undercover surveillance unit informed him at the time that they had been following the movements of the IRA sniper gang that killed Lance Bombardier Restorick.
Mrs O'Loan reported yesterday that the soldier alleged that both the gun and the car used by the IRA were bugged by the British army but that police allowed the attack to go ahead. "The article suggested that police might have wanted to protect an informant," she said.
Mrs O'Loan said her investigators had not uncovered any evidence to suggest that Lance Bombardier Restorick's murder could have been prevented. "The man who made these allegations was a former member of the Special Forces, but he was not present on the day of the attack nor was he part of a surveillance team."
"While we have uncovered evidence that the stolen Mazda car used in the attack was under surveillance, we have found no evidence that a listening device had been planted onboard nor that anyone knew about the specific plans for the car that day. We also examined the issue of whether the gun used in the attack had been fitted with a tracking device, as alleged by the undercover officer. I am satisfied, given the level of evidence obtained during the inquiry, that this was not the case," she added.
Mrs O'Loan said her investigators were given access to sensitive and secret intelligence documents held by RUC Special Branch and the British army. She expressed concern, however, "about the level of information and original documentation which had been destroyed". This had included documentation about a surveillance operation under way in the area at the time.
The ombudsman said it was "very regrettable" police did not pay closer attention to the Mazda car, given they had concerns about it. "However, we have not uncovered any evidence they had information which would have allowed them to prevent Stephen's murder."
