The Birmingham Six were six men from Northern Ireland accused of carrying out the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974 . After their arrest , four of the six confessed to the crime . These confessions were later claimed to be the result of intimidation and torture by police , including the use of dogs and mock executions . In 1991 , after 17 years in prison , an appeal into their convictions was allowed . The evidence at hearing showed widespread police fabrication , suppression of evidence , and extreme irregularities in the relevant forensic evidence . All six individuals were released and awarded compensation of up to £ 1.2 million . As a result of this and other miscarriages of justice , a Royal Commission on Criminal Justice was established in March 1991 to create reforms and provide oversight to the process
Birmingham pub bombings
Birmingham pub bombings
False confession