Witness 'saw gunman fire shots'

Soldiers fired live rounds during Bloody Sunday

A witness has told the Bloody Sunday inquiry that the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association did not record his sighting of a civilian gunman in 1972.

The Saville Inquiry is examining the events of 30 January 1972 when 13 civilians were shot dead by British paratroops after a civil rights march in Londonderry. A 14th person died later.

Peter McLaughlin said he saw a gunman fire a number of shots into Derry's Chamberlain Street on the day.

Mr McLaughlin said he reported this to the association a couple of days after Bloody Sunday.

However, he said the person taking his statement only wanted evidence about people being shot and did not include his report of a a gunman.

Deaths

The inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, was established in 1998 by British Prime Minister Tony Blair after a campaign by families of those killed and injured.

The new inquiry has been sitting in public in Derry's Guildhall for more than a year and is expected to run for another two years.

Witnesses to the inquiry are immune from prosecution on issues arising from their evidence.

It is aimed solely at establishing the facts of what happened.