The families have been crowdfunding for their legal bid to overturn a coroner’s ban on naming suspects at forthcoming inquests into the deaths of 21 people in the bombings.

The crowdfunder has raised more than £10,400 in five days.

Julie Hambleton, spokesperson for Justice4the21, told the Belfast News Letter: “First and foremost, the families would like to send their deepest, sincere thanks to all those who have pledged and donated their hard-earned money, especially in such a short space of time.

“This is something we have desperately tried to avoid doing during all our years of campaigning, but now it has become absolutely necessary due to the inequality of our country’s legal aid system.

“The great people of the UK and Ireland have stepped up to the mark and have become the tangible conscience of the Government, illustrating how we refuse to be ignored by them, especially when it is clear to see that a possible injustice could unfold if we do nothing.”

A spokesperson for Belfast-based law firm KRW Law, which represents 10 of the families, added: “Any application for legal aid to seek permission to judicially review the decision of the coroner would take excessive time or be rejected in any event.

“Therefore our clients are using crowdfunding to resource this fresh challenge in their quest for truth, justice and accountability.”