McGuinness 'was in IRA ambush gang'

Lord Saville is hearing evidence in the Methodist Hall

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry has heard allegations that Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness was involved in an IRA gun attack on an army patrol.

The inquiry, currently sitting in London, was hearing evidence from former army information officer Colin Wallace.

Mr Wallace told the tribunal that Mr McGuinness, now an MP and Northern Ireland's education minister, was part of an IRA gang which ambushed an army patrol in 1972.

The inquiry is investigating the deaths of 13 men shot by the Army at a civil rights march in the Bogside in Londonderry on 30 January 1972. A 14th man died later.

Martin McGuinness has denied any involvement in Bloody Sunday

However, in his evidence to the inquiry, Mr Wallace recalled the later attack on the Army by the IRA.

He said it was carried out on the night the previous Widgery Inquiry into Bloody Sunday ended in 1972.

One of the inquiry's legal team was shot in the attack and later lost his arm, Mr Wallace said.

Mr Wallace said the fact that one of the legal team had been on patrol and was wounded was covered up.

The inquiry is due to hear from the man who was injured.

Two members of the IRA were killed in a gun battle in the Bogside the same night.

Martin McGuinness has admitted to the inquiry in writing that he was the IRA's second in command in Derry at the time of Bloody Sunday.

But he has denied firing a shot on 30 January 1972.

'No gunmen photographed'

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Wallace gave evidence about army photographs he looked through when he helped the Army's legal team prepare for the Widgery Tribunal

He said he did not see any civilian gunmen in the photographs taken on the day and did not see anything that harmed the Army's case either.

Memorial: Relatives of those killed laid a wreath at Westminister Abbey

The Saville Inquiry has been trying to discover if the photographs still exist or whether they were destroyed.

The current inquiry was set up by Prime Minister Tony Blair because the relatives of those killed felt the Widgery Inquiry was "a whitewash" which exonerated the Army from blame.

The tribunal, moved to Methodist Hall in Westminster in London this week from the Guildhall in Derry, where it has been sitting for the past two years.

It followed court action by former soldiers who said they could be attacked by dissident republicans if they gave evidence in Derry.

Most of the soldiers will be anonymous - known only by a letter or number - but they will give evidence openly and not from behind screens.

The proceedings are being relayed by video-link to Derry.

The soldiers who fired the first shots on the day are not scheduled to give their evidence for at least several weeks.

The general picture painted by civilian witnesses at the inquiry so far is that the soldiers opened fire without justification.

Many of the relatives of those who died are in London to see the soldiers giving evidence.

Lord Saville and the Commonwealth judges who comprise the inquiry, began their work nearly four years ago and are not expected to report back until 2004.