The Scottish government was urged yesterday to hold its own public inquiry into the Lockerbie bombing.

A group of campaigners who believe Abdelbaset al-Megrahi may have been the victim of a miscarriage of justice called on Holyrood ministers to launch a probe.

The Justice for Mr Megrahi committee has already petitioned the UN General Assembly for an inquiry into the bombing of Pan-Am flight 103 in 1988 which killed 270 people, as well as the trial at Camp Zeist in The Netherlands which saw the Libyan convicted of the atrocity.

The Scottish government has refused to appear before a forthcoming US Senate committee inquiry into Mr Megrahi's release.

Robert Forrester has written to Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, and Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill on behalf of the Justice for the Megrahi committee, claiming that "current attacks from the USA and within the UK" have led to suggestions that the Scottish government might hold its own inquiry.

His letter added: "In our view, it is vital that the scope of any such inquiry ought also to encompass all aspects of the Lockerbie affair from December 1988 to the present day, including the investigation of the disaster and the Zeist trial itself."