21 people were killed in the incident.
An inquest into the 1974 bombings of Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town, two Birmingham pubs, today found that the victims were unlawfully killed.
Jurors at Birmingham Civil Justice Centre found the warning call was not adequate for the purposes of ensuring that lives were not lost in the explosions.
In that era, it was often customary for paramilitary groups to call authorities or the press ahead of bombs going off in order to make sure people could be safely evacuated. In this case, it was found that the call to the Birmingham Post and Mail was made just seven minutes before the first bomb detonated at 8.11pm.
Today, 11 jurors found that there were no “failings, errors or omissions” by West Midlands Police in their response to the threat.
21 people were killed between the two blasts, ranging in age between 16 and 51.
The fallout from the incident continued long after, with six men falsely imprisoned for the crime. The Birmingham Six had their convictions cleared after 16 years behind bars.
Leslie Thomas QC, representing the families of the bereaved, said: “We just hope, in light of the jury’s unequivocal finding that the IRA murdered 21 innocent people, that the West Midlands Police will now redouble their efforts in terms of those bombers who may still be alive to bring them to justice.”
The IRA has never officially claimed responsibility for the attack.
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