A former Northern Ireland police chief, criticised for his handling of the 1998 Omagh bombing, publicly apologised for the first time on Wednesday to the families of those killed and injured.

"I absolutely publicly apologise to the families in Omagh. I am desperately sorry that we have not at this point brought people to justice for that dreadful attack," Ronnie Flanagan told Channel 4 News.

"I publicly apologise to all those families and all those victims, to all those who were injured, without reservation," said Flanagan, who now holds a senior position as chief inspector of police forces throughout England and Wales.

An electrician was acquitted last month of murdering 29 people in Omagh, meaning no one has been convicted nearly a decade after Northern Ireland's deadliest single attack.

Relatives of victims reacted with outrage and the judge sharply criticised the quality of forensic evidence and the police investigation in the province.

"Of course, as chief constable, I have to take responsibility for the shortcomings that the judge highlighted," Flanagan said.

Sean Hoey, 38, had been accused of engineering the car bomb that killed 29, including a woman pregnant with twins, just months after a peace deal to end 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland.

The attack, in which 200 people were wounded, was carried out by the Real IRA, a breakaway faction of the IRA.

It opposed a 1997 truce by the IRA in its campaign to oust Britain from Northern Ireland.

Channel 4 said Flanagan met Victor Barker, father of a 12-year-old boy who died in the 1998 bombing, on Wednesday.

Asked as he was leaving the meeting if he would resign, he replied: "I don't think that is appropriate".

An independent 2001 report into the bombing said police chiefs bungled the investigation.

The damning report by Nuala O'Loan, who as police ombudsman investigates complaints against the force, said Northern Irish police under Flanagan had failed to act on tips warning that an attack was imminent and that the country town of Omagh was a possible target.