A MAN arrested in connection with the murders of 21 people in the 1974 pub bombings in Birmingham has been released, police have said.

The 65-year-old man was arrested under the Terrorism Act at his home in Belfast on Wednesday (November 18).

A search of his home was carried out and he was interviewed at a police station in Belfast but he has since been released, West Midlands Police confirmed.

The investigation, however, continues and Detective Chief Superintendent Kenny Bell, head of Counter Terrorism Policing at West Midlands CTU, said: “We are committed to finding those responsible for the terrible murders of 21 innocent victims almost 46 years ago.

“Let me assure families of the victims and the people of Birmingham that we’re working relentlessly to find the bombers and bring them to justice."

Paul Rowlands, from Lye, who was just 11 when he lost his father John in the attacks, was taken aback by news of this week's arrest which he described as a "positive step" but he said the families of the victims were still fighting for a public inquiry into the atrocities after inquests into the deaths concluded last year and "left more questions than answers".