Inquiry hears of 'poisoning plan'

Witness said agents tried to involve rights group in violence

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry has heard that two special branch agents suggested the Civil Rights Association should poison the water supply at a security base in County Londonderry.

The evidence was given by Hugh Logue, a European Commission official, now attached to the office of Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers.

He told the tribunal sitting in Derry that two special branch agents, who had infiltrated the North Derry Civil Rights Association, brought a map of Ballykelly base to a meeting.

The map showed the base's water supply source and the agents said they had a ready supply of strychnine they could make available, Mr Logue said.

It was set up by the security forces to implicate the North Derry CRA in a violent act and we would have no part of it

Hugh Logue

The vice chairman of the association at the time of Bloody Sunday in 1972, Mr Logue said the members saw through the attempt to involve the association in violence.

"We dismissed it out of hand. We could see it a mile away," he said.

"It was set up by the security forces to implicate the North Derry CRA in a violent act and we would have no part of it."

He said he had given the name of the two agents to the inquiry, but that he believed one of them was now dead.

The tribunal is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 13 men and youths fired on by British paratroopers at a civil rights demonstration in the city on 30 January 1972.

Hume 'distanced from march'

Mr Logue also said the then deputy leader of the SDLP, John Hume, refused an invitation to speak at the Civil Rights Association march.

John Hume was alienated from rights association, witness said

He said Mr Hume - now the party's leader - appeared reluctant to participate in the march because he had doubts about the Derry association.

"When he indicated that he had doubts, his primary doubts at that time were about the organisers - not so much in terms of stewarding," Mr Logue said.

"I think his doubts rested with the Civil Rights Association in this city from which he was alienated."

Mr Hume has told the inquiry in a statement that he withdrew support for the march the week before, after clashes at an anti-internment demonstration at Magilligan Strand in County Derry, which he did attend.