WE must not overlook the significance of the trial of the two Libyans accused of planting the bomb on Pan Am Flight 103.

The delivery of the verdicts yesterday is a credit to the painstaking investigation by those on both sides of the Atlantic, and is confirmation of the remarkable strength of the Scottish legal system and the respect it has earned across the world.

And it has demonstrated to terrorists that obstacles standing in the way of bringing suspects to book can be overcome.

But, after 84 days of evidence from 230 witness, constituting one of the most costly trials ever staged, and careful deliberation by three eminent judges, the outcome is still far from satisfactory.

For the two Libyan accused, justice has been done and has been seen to have been done. One if free to return home; the other free to appeal against his conviction.

But where is the justice for the 270 people who lost their lives? And where is the justice for those robbed by the Lockerbie tragedy of their husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children and loved ones?

Sadly, for them, the conclusion of the trial does not end the heartache or offer them a full and detailed explanation of what happened in the skies above Lockerbie that fateful night.

After 12 years many questions remain unanswered.

The criminal investigation naturally concentrated on putting together a case for the prosecution of the suspects. And the trial naturally concentrated on determining the guilt or innocence of the accused.

The grieving families and friends will find it difficult to believe that one man acted in complete isolation to carry out the biggest single act of mass murder in British history.

With the legal process now at end, and with little hope of pursuing any other individuals through the courts, attention must now turn to a full and thorough investigation of all aspects of the disaster.

We join with the families in calling for a public inquiry to examine airline security procedures and, crucially, the extent to which this was a terrorist atrocity sponsored by a foreign state.

Once these fundamental issues are addressed and answers are provided, the families at long last may be able to heal the wounds left behind by Lockerbie.