Lawyer dismisses claims against Heath

A lawyer acting for the former British Prime Minister Edward Heath says claims made against him by lawyers acting for the families of the Bloody Sunday dead are "specious nonsense''.

Speaking at the Bloody Sunday tribunal in London David Mackie QC said claims against the 86 year-old former premier were ``invariably false'' and should never have been made.

On Edward Heath's 8th and final appearance at the tribunal, his lawyer was finally able to go on the attack.

Mr Heath has been repeatedly challenged on whether he had any advance knowledge of plans to take a tough line on Bloody Sunday.

One claim was that he tried to ``browbeat'' the chairman of the original inquiry, the then-Lord Chief Justice, Lord Widgery, into concluding the paratroopers had done nothing wrong.

It was also suggested that it was British government policy to send troops into the Bogside, that they were authorised to shoot troublemakers to control crowds and that the blame for casualties was passed on to the organisers.

Mr Heath's lawyer said very serious allegations had been made against his client which, in his submission, were invariably false.

Responding, Michael Lavery QC, said that the victims' families he represented still had no satisfactory explanation or admission for what happened to their loved ones 31 years later.