The tragedy of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 shocked the world and put the small Dumfriesshire town of Lockerbie forever on the map of history.

Only 3,500 people lived there but none would escape the horror of that night. Eleven residents lost their lives when the plane hit shortly after 7pm on 21 December 1988. Among those to lose their lives were four members of the Somerville family who lived at Sherwood Crescent, where a large piece of the plane landed and burst into flames.

Scottish Television was the local broadcaster of the national morning news programme TV-am. Reporters rushed to the scene, many working through the night to file stories during the morning broadcast, including this early piece from Paul Newman.

Initial details of the disaster would later be revised after additional information was received. At one point, the general belief was that the plane must have landed on a petrol station to cause such a powerful blast and fire – but that was not the case.

People on the scene described the gruesome sight of bodies lay strewn across six locations in Dumfries & Galloway. They also told of how the heat from the blast could be felt through their shoes – even on a cold and damp evening.

In all 270 people from 21 countries died, 189 of them from America. But nowhere could claim a greater loss of peace and tranquility than Lockerbie. The village will never be the same. Christmas will never have the same meaning.

The physical scars on Lockerbie have been repaired. The emotional scars will likely remain for generations.