No evidence from MI5 agent

Thirteen civilians were killed on Bloody Sunday

A former security service agent who said Martin McGuinness fired the first shot on Bloody Sunday will not be called to give evidence to the Saville Tribunal.

Inquiry chairman Lord Saville said any attempt to call the agent, code-named Infliction, would interfere with his right to life.

Infliction is said to have been a former senior member of the IRA.

Monday's ruling came as MI5 made a public interest immunity application to protect the identity of the agent, who the tribunal heard was living abroad.

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

Martin McGuinness: Denies claims that he fired the first shot

It is understood a barrister representing Sinn Fein MP Martin McGuinness will ask the tribunal to rule out any documented evidence from Infliction to the inquiry.

In April last year, a document from Infliction said Mr McGuinness, now the education minister in Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive, appeared to have it on his conscience that he had fired the shot which led to the civilians being killed.

Mr McGuinness firmly rejected the allegation.

Immunity

The immunity application by MI5 followed a meeting on Friday between the security services and the tribunal judges and counsel.

In the public section of the application at the inquiry in Derry's Guildhall on Monday, the security services sought tight restrictions on the testimonies of three witnesses, agents A and B and former MI5 agent David Shayler, who are due to give evidence about Infliction.

In his statement to the tribunal, Mr Shayler cast doubt on the evidence of Infliction about Mr McGuinness firing the first shot.

The application, if approved by the inquiry, would give the security service lawyers at least an hour to examine and vet transcripts of any evidence given by Mr Shayler and A and B, who were Infliction's handlers, before releasing it to the public.

David Shayler: Doubt cast on evidence

The application, which was signed by Home Office minister John Denham, also called for the inquiry chamber to be cleared of the general public and for the lawyers representing the families of the dead to present a list of pre-prepared written questions to inquiry counsel Christopher Clark QC.

Lord Saville of Newdigate and the commonwealth judges accompanying him on the Bloody Sunday inquiry began their work nearly four years ago.

They are not expected to report back until 2004.

The Bloody Sunday inquiry was established in 1998 by Prime Minister Tony Blair after a campaign by families of those killed and injured.

They felt that the Widgery Inquiry, held shortly after the shootings, did not find out the truth about what happened on Bloody Sunday.