New evidence from Army chief

General Sir Mike Jackson was a captain in the Parachute Regiment

Army chief Sir Mike Jackson has made a new statement to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry which has resumed after a summer break.

General Jackson, the Chief of the General Staff, gave evidence to the tribunal in April but was asked to make another statement after it emerged that a number of Army documents appeared to be written by him.

He was a captain in the Parachute Regiment at the time of Bloody Sunday in 1972.

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 Londonderry. A 14th person died later.

One of the documents General Jackson is said to have written is a list of shots fired by the Parachute Regiment, which another senior soldier claimed had been drawn up in the back of his armoured car a couple of hours after the shootings.

General Jackson told the tribunal in April that he had no memory of taking part in such an exercise.

His new statement is expected to be delivered to the tribunal this week.

'Shot without justification'

The tribunal is sitting at Central Hall in London for about six weeks before returning to the Guildhall in Derry as it enters its final stages.

It has been hearing the evidence from military witnesses and others in London because of concerns for their safety.

The tribunal hopes to finish hearing all of the evidence by Christmas.

Lord Saville has already heard evidence from almost 800 witnesses, including the prime minister in 1972, Sir Edward Heath.

The inquiry is examining the events of 30 January 1972

Many civilian witnesses have told the tribunal that paratroops opened fire indiscriminately when they entered the Bogside area of Derry and people were shot without justification.

The soldiers have insisted they only fired at gunmen, nail bombers and petrol bombers.

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 next year.

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.