Army witness believes soldiers were attacked on Bloody Sunday

A former British army press officer who was forced to resign after revealing details of army propaganda has told the Saville Inquiry that he believes shots were fired at soldiers on Bloody Sunday.

Colin Wallace said that although he was critical of many British army actions, he believes there was no conspiracy to kill innocent people on January 30 1972.

However, he also admitted that he participated in deception, dirty tricks and black propaganda to cast the British army in a good light and to demonise its enemies in the IRA and loyalist organisations.

Mr Wallace, who also acted as an adviser to the British army during the now-discredited Widgery Tribunal, today criticised some of the paratroopers involved in Bloody Sunday for firing live rounds at civilians.

He told the inquiry that the soldiers he spoke to after the shootings seemed fair and compelling, but he could still not understand how so many people could have been accidentally shot dead, particularly when many were hit in the head.

Mr Wallace admitted his involvement in black propaganda campaigns and said the British army would have used smear tactics against civil rights activists like those who marched on Bloody Sunday.