Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has described an emotional visit to the Omagh bomb memorial.

Mr Heaton-Harris was met on Wednesday by families of some of those killed in the 1998 atrocity in the Co Tyrone town.

The bomb exploded on August 15, 1998, killing 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins. Hundreds more were injured.

Mr Heaton-Harris was shown the memorial on Market Street where the Real IRA bomb detonated.

He also visited a nearby memorial garden, taking in the names of all of those whose lives were claimed in the biggest single atrocity in Northern Ireland’s troubled history.

Omagh bombing
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris (left) with Stanley McCombe (centre), who lost his wife Ann, and Michael Gallagher, who lost his son Aiden (Niall Carson/PA)

“I always find these things actually quite emotional, I find it very difficult to hide emotion when I come to places like this,” he said.

“This happened in my lifetime and I can remember distinctly pretty much everything about it, and meeting family members of those killed is probably one of the toughest bits of my job to be frank.

“These are beautiful gardens, a great way of remembering people who died in a terrible atrocity.

“(I take away from here) that everywhere can recover from a terrible atrocity but it will always reside in people’s memory.”

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The devastation in Omagh when a bomb was detonated at the junction of Market Street and Dublin Road (MoD/Crown copyright/PA)

Mr Heaton-Harris is expected to announce in January whether he will call a fresh investigation into the bomb attack.

The families have called for a public inquiry into the bomb attack and the circumstances around it.

Last year, a High Court judge recommended that the UK Government carry out a human rights-compliant investigation into alleged security failings in the lead-up to the August 1998 attack.

His ruling came after a legal challenge by the families against the Government’s refusal to hold a public inquiry.

It was also recommended that the Irish Government establish its own investigation.

Omagh bombing
The families have called for a public inquiry into the bomb attack and the circumstances around it (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Heaton-Harris said: “It’s a powerful story and I have got to take proper advice, there are legal steps I have to go through, but at some point in January I will be making a decision.

“I am not ruling anything out at all.”

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was one of those killed, was among relatives of victims who met Mr Heaton-Harris.

He said the secretary of state is “more engaged” than most who have held the position.

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Chris Heaton-Harris with Stanley McCombe Michael Gallagher (Niall Carson/PA)

“Very few have actually come to Omagh and been on the site where the car bomb detonated that day 24 and a half years ago,” he said.

“That says a lot about the man himself. He has a huge decision to make around Omagh, whether there will be a public inquiry or some sort of other inquiry.

“We have campaigned for a public inquiry, and we’ve left him in no doubt that that is the only type of inquiry that will bring resolution to Omagh.

“He was very engaging, at least now he understands how important it is for people like myself and others to move on and do other things in our lives because over the past 24 and a half years we have made Omagh our lives, because we could do nothing else until we get the answers.”

He added: “It was great that he did come to Omagh, we pointed out at the bomb site, what happened on the day, why there was so many casualties, particularly women and children – because there was a children’s outfitters there and a school uniform shop.

“It was obvious that the criminal who planted that bomb wanted to have a spectacular, it was basically declaring war on the people of Omagh. It was shoppers and people who worked in shops in the main that died.”