THE family of a man shot dead by a secret British army unit are to ask the Police Ombudsman to investigate after the PSNI said no action will be taken against former soldiers.
Despite admissions by former members of the shadowy Military Reaction Force, its activities in Northern Ireland in the 1970s are not to be investigated.
During a Panorama documentary screened last year, ex-members of the MRF claimed they "took the war to the IRA" in the early years of the Troubles.
Some former soldiers from the controversial unit, which was disbanded after just 14 months, told journalist John Ware about their involvement in the MRF, including shooting dead several unarmed civilians.
Between May and September 1972 - the most violent year of the conflict - there were several 'drive-by' shootings which were assumed to have been carried out by loyalist gunmen.
In fact the gunmen were soldiers in civilian cars, dressed in plain clothes.
Patricia McVeigh's father Pat was one of those killed by a MRF patrol who wrongly claimed the harland and Wolff shipbuilder had been holding a weapon.
It wasn't until six weeks after her father's death that the family were finally told it had been carried out by plain-clothes soldiers.
Following the Britain's Secret Terror Force documentary, Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory took the unprecedented step of asking Chief Constable Matt Baggott to investigate the claims.
But Padraig O Muirigh, who acts on behalf of the McVeigh family and the family of teenager Daniel Rooney (18), who was also killed by members of the MRF, was informed that no action is to be taken by the PSNI.
The case was passed to the head of crime operations, Assistant Chief Constable Drew harris, for consideration.
Mr McGrory informed the families this week in a letter that stated: "The PSNI is of the view that none of the men featured have admitted to any criminal act or to having been involved in any of the incidents portrayed in the programme."
The director of the Public Prosecution Service added that he now intended to meet with the historical enquiries Team to enquire what "investigative steps" have been taken to examine unresolved British army killings.
Ms McVeigh said her family will be demanding that the Police Ombudsman "come on board" to look at the case.
"As a family we are totally shocked and dismayed - the Director of Public Prosecution had asked for the entire MRF unit to be investigated, not just the three soldiers who spoke to Panorama," she said.
"The three MRF men in the Panorama programme appeared to gloat about their activities at that time.
"Anyone watching the programme could be in no doubt what kind of unit this was. I would like to know how ACC Harris took to come to this conclusion."
Mr O Muirigh said: "It is very clear from the Panorama programme that these MRF soldiers did not believe, or were advised by their superiors, that the rule of law did not apply to them.
"One MRF soldier openly admitted on camera that they were there to 'act like a terror group' and that the MRF shot people in situations where it was not clear whether the individual was armed or not.
"The deaths of Daniel Rooney and Patrick McVeigh were never properly investigated by the RUC in 1972 and now it is clear the PSNI also do not intend to pursue the actions the MRF.
"We intend to lodge a formal complaint to the Police Ombudsman's office in light of the PSNI's decision not to investigate thoroughly these grave matters."
* ANGER: Patricia McVeigh (main image) with her father, Patrick, who was killed by the MRF. Middle right, Barra McGrory, director of public prosecutions asked the PSNI to look into the admissions of the soldiers. Bottom right, ACC Drew Harris was passed the file but the PSNI has decided no action is to be taken