PRIME MINISTER Sir Keir Starmer’s dismissive response to families’ calls for a judge-led inquiry into the 1994 Chinook crash was branded “utterly pathetic” today.

Events surrounding the crash on the Mull of Kintyre have been shrouded in secrecy for more than three decades, with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) sealing documents on the incident until 2094, prompting the families’ campaign.

Backed by a 25,000-strong petition, families of the 29 intelligence officers and special forces personnel killed in the crash wrote to Sir Keir Starmer demanding an inquiry and a new “duty of candour” on public bodies.

Rejecting the calls, Sir Keir said he did “not believe that a new inquiry can bring any greater certainty or is in the public interest.”

He said: “The MoD advise that the records to which you refer offer no insights into the crash and are closed to protect the personal data of third parties.”

Andy Tobias, whose father Lt Col John Tobias was killed in the crash, responded: “His response is utterly pathetic.

“But we will not give up. And we will see the MoD and UK government in court.”