Senator calls for UK inquiry

A US senator yesterday called on the UK to hold an independent inquiry into the release of the Lockerbie bomber, a year after he was returned to Libya.

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was freed from Greenock prison on August 20 last year after a terminal prostate cancer prognosis gave him only months to live.

The bomber returned to jubilant scenes in Libya where he remains alive at home.

Senator Robert Menendez said: "We continue to believe that an independent investigation in the UK would provide incredibly valuable new information and we have asked the British and Scottish Governments again to begin that process."

He said he had written to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Prime Minister David Cameron laying out the areas where "questions linger".

There have been several letter exchanges between Washington and the Scottish Government since the Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced it was to hold an inquiry into the release.