Former IRA men granted anonymity

Thirteen people died in Bloody Sunday shootings

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry has ruled that five former Official IRA men can give their evidence anonymously.

Lord Saville of Newdigate is heading the inquiry to examine events in Londonderry on 30 January 1972.

Thirteen Catholic men were shot dead by British soldiers during a civil rights march in the city that day. A 14th person died later.

On Wednesday he ruled that the five men had genuine and reasonable fears for their safety if their identities were made public to the inquiry.

The men were all said to have been members of the Official IRA on Bloody Sunday.

'Soft targets'

The inquiry in Derry's Guildhall have already heard accounts of "civilian" gunfire in the area that day and tribunal officials been attempting to track down members of both the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA.

A lawyer acting for the five, Brian Fee QC, said his clients were "very keen indeed" to co-operate fully with the inquiry and help it search for the truth.

But he cited fears of attack from paramilitaries, especially loyalists, and claimed his clients would be "very soft targets" and their families even softer targets.

Lord Saville: Heading inquiry

Meanwhile, a woman has told the inquiry that a young man was shot as he knelt "lamenting" over the body of another victim.

Olive Mottram wept as she described the shooting to the inquiry sitting at the Guildhall in Londonderry on Wednesday.

Mrs Mottram said she watched events from a block of flats overlooking a rubble barricade in Derry's Bogside area.

She said she saw a body on the barricade with another young man kneeling beside it.

"As he was kneeling, he kept bending over the body with his hands outstretched, as if he was lamenting. He was obviously distressed," he said.

"As I watched him, he straightened himself up. Still kneeling, he put his hands in the air with his hands open and approximately at head height.

"There was nothing in his hands. I am sure of that. He still had his back to the soldiers - I heard a shot. He fell. I knew he was shot."

As he was kneeling, he kept bending over the body with his hands outstretched, as if he was lamenting

Olive Mottram

Another witness, Frances McCullagh, also cried as she gave evidence about the scenes at the barricade.

Ms McCullagh said she saw the three bodies on the barricade - William Nash, John Young and Michael McDaid - and Alexander Nash, the father of William, shot and wounded as he tried to rescue his son.

"As I looked at the old man, tending to the bodies and waving, I saw a soldier standing in Rossville Street. He had one knee on the ground and one knee raised," she said.

Military evidence

"As he fired the rifle, I saw the old man fall.

"I believe he got up and waved his other arm at which point I saw the soldier fire again and again."

The inquiry has been sitting in public in Derry since March 2000.

Military personnel are expected to begin giving evidence to the inquiry early next year.

In August, the inquiry team ruled that British soldiers must go to Londonderry to give their evidence.