A former British paratrooper today said he was “baffled” when his fellow paras began firing on Bloody Sunday killing 13 unarmed civil rights marchers.

Soldier 027, who is giving evidence to the Saville Inquiry in London, recalled that on Bloody Sunday his platoon moved in south down Rossville Street in armoured vans after getting the go-ahead from Major Ted Loden, Commander of the Support unit.

A Bloody Sunday paratrooper today said that his colleagues fired without justification.