A BROMSGROVE father whose daughter was tragically killed in the Lockerbie bombing has called for a public inquiry this week following new claims about the safety at Heathrow airport before the air disaster.

Dr Jim Swire, who lost his 23-year-old daughter Flora in the bombing, told the Advertiser/Messenger the new claims added to his continual calls for a public inquiry.

The new evidence, given by Ray Manly, a Heathrow security guard, claimed the baggage area of the doomed Pan-Am flight was broken into on December 21, just 17 hours before the plane took off from Heathrow to New York.

Both the padlock, which was broken off the baggage hold, and the statement which Mr Manly gave to anti-terrorist officers when he was questioned the following month were lost, and formed no part of the evidence at the trial at a Scottish court sitting in Camp Zeist, Holland.

Speaking to the Advertiser/Messenger, Dr Swire said these claims bring questions that serious mistakes have been made during the police inquiry.

"The question has been from the very beginning why weren't our loved ones protected and it is reiterated now that this evidence has came to light.

"As soon as the appeal is over we want a full inquiry into why Heathrow didn't take full steps to protect our loved ones.

"We have believed all along that this disaster could have been avoided and this new evidence just proves that we were right. All we want is the truth," he added.