Carrington tells Inquiry shoot to kill 'ridiculous'

Former British Defence Secretary Lord Carrington has described allegations that his government plotted to shoot innocent civilians in Derry on Bloody Sunday as "ridiculous".

In evidence to the Saville Inquiry today, the 83-year-old said: "I can state categorically that it was never policy to shoot unless a target had been identified as a threat.

"I suspect the army was frustrated with the situation in Northern Ireland at the time, but to suggest that there was a deliberate policy to shoot civilians is ludicrous and something no politician would ever agree to."

As Defence Secretary at the time, Lord Carrington is the most senior politician to appear so far before the public inquiry established to investigate the killings.