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Fox family wants mid-Ulster UVF killings inquiry

UVF murder victim Charlie Fox who was shot dead with his wife Tess at their home in Moy, Co Tyrone, in 1992.
UVF murder victim Charlie Fox who was shot dead with his wife Tess at their home in Moy, Co Tyrone, in 1992. UVF murder victim Charlie Fox who was shot dead with his wife Tess at their home in Moy, Co Tyrone, in 1992.

CHILDREN of a murdered couple have called for a public inquiry into claims the state colluded with the pair's loyalist killers after a coroner conceded he did not have enough resources to conduct such a probe.

Charlie and Tess Fox were gunned down in the kitchen of their isolated home in Moy, Co Tyrone, in September 1992 by the UVF's mid-Ulster gang.

The family claim the killings are among 28 murders and attempted murders carried out by the group, led by notorious loyalist Billy Wright.

Lawyers for the relatives allege the state colluded with the gang and ran both Wright and fellow loyalist Mark "Swinger" Fulton as agents.

They have insisted a recently-ordered inquest into the couple's deaths can only get to the truth if it is part of an overarching probe that examines all 28 crimes.

However, at a preliminary hearing in Belfast yesterday, senior coroner John Leckey said the Coroners' Service did not have the resources to conduct such a major investigation.

Noting the budget pressure already facing his team, Mr Leckey said only a "major change" in funding levels would make a difference.

"You may feel a public inquiry may be the best mechanism," he told members of the Fox family at the Coroners' Court.

"If that approach (to the Secretary of State) was made I wouldn't want anyone to feel I would be offended or slighted. That would not be the case.

"It's something you may want to actively consider."

Outside court, Mr and Mrs Fox's son Anthony welcomed the coroner's remarks.

"There should be a public inquiry," he said. "That is what is needed with the mid-Ulster UVF."