The DUP has been given a commitment from the Conservatives to back its bid to get compensation for terror victims from the Libyan authorities.

In a letter from the DUP to Docklands bomb victim Jonathan Ganesh, signed by Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, it is revealed that the party raised the issue of victims in two separate meetings and emphasised that this must be dealt with in the current parliamentary term.

The letter follows calls for the party to use its new-found influence with the Tories to press for adequate support for terror victims.

The DUP letter states: "We have secured a commitment from the Government to convene a further meeting involving the relevant Minister(s) to discuss how we might take the matter forward, including on the issue of frozen Libyan assets in the UK. We are establishing a Coordination Committee between our two parties that will enable this type of issue to be addressed at Ministerial level.

"The reason this matter is not explicitly mentioned in the Agreement between the DUP and the Government is because we have not yet reached an agreed position or established legal basis for accessing Libyan assets, given that these are the subject of international sanctions and covered by international law.

"Frankly, it is unfair of lawyers to expect us to resolve in the hectic two-week post-election period legal issues that they as lawyers have not been able to unravel in many years.

"We remain committed to supporting the wider campaign by innocent victims to secure recompense and reparation from Libya and will seek to use our influence to secure a positive outcome."

In May the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee published a report recommending that a compensation fund for victims be established by the end of this year, regardless of what progress is made with the Libyan government.

Mr Ganesh told the Belfast Telegraph that the DUP is "carrying the hopes" of all the victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism and other terror atrocities.

"This is a unique opportunity for the DUP - they promised they would support us and said they wanted equality for British and Irish victims of Libyan terrorism with the French and American victims," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"The Americans received millions of pounds in compensation; we have had victims who have had to sell their houses to pay for care.

"It's not about money, it's about equality and surviving. Mr Donaldson said our case was mentioned and implied that this was one of the top priorities."

Belfast Telegraph