A CHIPPING Campden man whose daughter died in the 1988 Lockerbie terrorist attack may finally get to the truth over who committed the atrocity after enlisting the help of a campaign lawyer.

Doctor Jim Swire’s beloved 23-year-old daughter, Flora, was among 270 people murdered when terrorists blew up an airliner above the Scottish town of Lockerbie after the it had taken off from London’s Heathrow Airport.

Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, who died two years ago from prostate cancer, was the only person convicted for the atrocity.

He was released from a Scottish prison in August 2009 on compassionate grounds after serving nearly eight years of a 27-year sentence.

But now 22 Lockerbie victims’ relatives and the Megrahi family are calling for a fresh inquiry into the case because they say Megrahi waspressured into dropping an earlier appeal.

Dr Swire, who has spent more than two decades trying to uncover the truth about what happened, said they were working with laywer Aamer Anwar to persuade the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) to review the evidence.

“This guy is a campaign solicitor who really wants to solve this case,” the 78-yearold said. “We want to continue to review the evidence that exists against him.

“All of us found this guilty verdict a powerful weapon used by the government of England and Scotland in terms of trying to prevent us from getting to the truth about who murdered our loved ones.

“That is something that remains wholly unacceptable. I want to get to the truth about who murdered Flora and all the other people need to see my friend’s name cleared.”

Dr Swire said after getting to know Megrahi and his family when he realised he was not guilty, he owed it to his friend to clear his name.

“He’s become my friend over the years, because I was able to talk to him I know he wasn’t guilty at all,” he said.

“He and his family have been increasingly my concern although he himself is now dead, poor chap, and died without being able to see the verdict overturned.

“He pleaded the last time I met him in 2011 in Tripoli - I would continue to try and overturn the verdicts after he was gone.”

Dr Swire added he was confident the SCCRC would look at the case again.

“The evidence is now so overwhelming provided we can get it brought before the court, I think that will happen,”he said.

The news of the fresh appeal was revealed at a press conference in Glasgow last week.

“We have an excellent advocate in this guy who knows how to fight his corner," said Dr Swire. 

"We have the right under European Human Rights legislation to know the truth about who murdered our loved ones and we intend to enforce that right.

“What matters in the long run is that truth does come out.”