Recordings of calls about pub bombings wiped, inquest hears

Tape recordings of calls made to the police control room on the night of the Birmingham Pub bombings have been wiped by West Midlands Police, an inquest heard today.

At the time in 1974, calls were recorded and kept for 30 days unless it was decided that there was nothing of importance on them.

Today a former inspector told the the inquests into the victims that he would have expected the tapes to have been kept.

He also said he wasn't told about IRA coded warnings during the IRA bombing campaign in the West Midlands.

• VIDEO report by ITV News Central correspondent Mark Gough