The UK government has failed victims by failing to provide proper and adequate support to UK victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism, lawyers have said.

Westminster’s Northern Ireland Affairs committee has published a report highlighting “a series of missed opportunities to secure compensation” and urging the next government to take action.

According to the report, weapons, funding, training and explosives provided by Libya to the Provisional IRA both extended and exacerbated the Troubles. In particular, Libyan Semtex facilitated a bombing campaign in the late 1980s that included atrocities at Enniskillen, Warrington and the London Docklands.

It found that successive UK governments have failed to press for the issue of compensation for victims to be resolved by the UN Security Council, as was done for victims of the Lockerbie bombing.

Jason McCue, senior partner at McCue & Partners, said that UK victims “have been denied just compensation”.

He said the UK government should act on the committee’s recommendation to “immediately enter into government-to-government negotiations and use all its diplomatic leverage, including the £9 billion of Libyan frozen assets held in the UK, to resolve the issue”.

Matthew Jury, managing partner at McCue & Partners, added: “HMG is now out of excuses as to why it can’t or shouldn’t immediately engage in government-to-government negotiations to resolve this issue, which has been a national shame, once and for all.

“While the US, France and Germany all secured just reparations for their victims of Libyan terrorism, we have sat on the sidelines not wanting to rock the boat for fear of British trade in oil and arms losing out. Profit has been put over principle time and time again and this has to end. The victims have suffered and waited long enough.”