Army watchdog denied file access

Several soldiers were injured during the riots

The Army complaints watchdog has said he has been refused access to military papers on last year's 12 July violence in north Belfast's Ardoyne area.

The revelation came in the annual report by Jim McDonald, the independent assessor of military complaints procedures.

Mr McDonald said he was immensely disappointed by the Army's refusal.

His report also reveals that there had been a 27% drop in the number of complaints against the Army.

Mr McDonald wanted to know about planning and what orders were given to troops caught up in rioting after an Orange Order parade passed the flashpoint route.

Dozens of police and soldiers were injured during the violence.

Mr McDonald said he was "dumbfounded and unhappy" he had been denied access to the Army papers.

"This is the first time I have been refused and it begins to eat away at the foundation of my independence," he said.

He said the police had been "totally open and helpful in making their records available to me but unfortunately these do not give the military perspective".

Restraint

Mr McDonald also said he believed the Army had shown "remarkable restraint" during the rioting.

The Army said an investigation into the riot had already been completed through the Starmer and Gordon report to the Policing Board.

"The MoD has declined a request from Mr McDonald for certain papers relating to public order events in the Ardoyne on July 12, 2004 because those events have already been thoroughly and independently investigated by the Starmer and Gordon report," an Army spokesman said.

"The MoD is of the opinion that the independent assessor's functions do not embrace an investigation into the events of that day and therefore there's no requirement to release documents to support such an investigation."