CAMPAIGNERS attempting to overturn the conviction of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi are carrying on their fight to clear him.

A judge has been asked to decide if an appeal can be pursued by families of some of the victims of the atrocity, which killed 270 people.

A joint application by Megrahi's family in Libya and the Justice for Megrahi campaign group, which includes Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora was killed when the Pan Am jumbo came down on Lockerbie in December1988.

Megrahi died in 2012 in Libya after he was released from prison on compassionate grounds by the Scottish Government.

A Scottish Criminal Cases Review has decided that Megrahi's family have failed to provide appropriate evidence and the application is only being actively supported by the campaign group.

As only the next of kin of a dead person wan pursue an appeal after their death, the court has been asked to decide if a "person with a legitimate interest" such as Dr Swire can pursue the appeal.

Amer Anwar, solicitor for the Justice for Megrahi group said: "We would submit that the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission are wrong and that the Megrahis continue to instruct the application.

''Communication is hampered by the extremely dangerous situation in Libya, which was also referred to by the Lord Advocate as a reason for his lack of any progress in the Lockerbie investigation.

"As for the victims' rights to pursue an appeal, we submit that there is a fundamental duty on the state to protect the rights of the victims.

"The Briitish relatives should not have to continue with unyielding confrontations with the police and the Crown Office just simply to get the truth.

"The relatives of the victims have as much right as the Megrahis to make an application for the truth to be heard."

Lady Dorrian presided over a hearing to consider the petition by the SCCRC o decided if the appeal can still go ahead pursued only by the campaign group or one of its members and another procedural hearing has been scheduled for March 27.

Dr Swire said: "We want the truth. If I haven't lost hope in 26 years, I'm not going to lose hope."