The Government has confirmed an independent review into the Chinook helicopter crash which claimed the loves of 29 people in Mull of Kintyre in 1994.

An independent review of the evidence surrounding the crash, which happened as the helicopter carried senior police, Army and MI5 officers from Belfast to Inverness, was promised by the Tories if they came into power.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said a "respected lawyer" would lead the inquiry into the accident which killed all passengers on board.

During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Clegg told Tory MP for North East Hampshire, James Arbuthnot: "I am pleased to be able to confirm today that we will be holding an independent review of the evidence on the Mull of Kintyre disaster and I hope the review will be welcomed by the families of those who died in this tragic accident.

"To ensure its complete independence, the review will be conducted by a respected lawyer who is independent of the Government and who has not previously expressed a view on the disaster. The reviewer and the precise terms of reference will be announced soon."

The move followed continuous pressure concern over the RAF's finding of "gross negligence" against the two helicopter pilots.

The high profile security personnel were among those who died when the Chinook crashed in thick fog on a remote hillside in in south west Scotland in June 1994 on the way to Inverness.

An initial RAF inquiry ruled that the pilots, Flight Lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook, were guilty of "gross negligence" for flying too low and too fast.

Two external inquiries reached the conclusion that the "evidence did not justify the verdict" of gross negligence.

Campaigners have called for the pilots to be cleared after leaked documents suggested the helicopter was brought down by computer software failures.

• Chinook crash linked to faulty software