Service marks the 40th anniversary of the M62 coach bomb

A memorial service to mark the 40th anniversary of the M62 coach bomb that killed 12 people was held at Hartshead Moor service station.

By The Newsroom

Published 2nd Feb 2014, 13:41 BST

Memorial service to IRA bomb victims killed on the M62 in 1974, Hartshead Moor Services, Brighouse

On Monday February 4, 1974, a 50lb IRA bomb ripped through the coach carrying service personnel, their wives and families along the M62 between Birstall and Birkenshaw, reducing the vehicle to a twisted heap of metal.

Hartshead Moor was used as a first aid station for those wounded in the blast and has since become the focal point for those wishing to honour those killed and injured.

In 2009 a permanent memorial was created outside the service station and each year it hosts a service to mark the anniversary.

Among those paying their respects were the Mayors of Kirklees, Calderdale and Oldham, and members of the Royal British Legion.