Wilford defends Bloody Sunday soldiers

The officer in charge of the British soldiers who killed 13 unarmed Catholic civilians in Derry in 1972 has defended his men in evidence to the Saville Inquiry today.

Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford has already submitted a 25-page statement to the inquiry about the events of Bloody Sunday, when British paratroopers opened fire on Catholic civil rights marchers in the IRA-controlled Bogside area.

The British Army has always claimed that it came under fire from civilian gunmen during the march, a claim that has been strenuously denied by the residents of the Bogside and the relatives of the dead.

Lieutenant Colonel Wilford told the Saville Inquiry today that he believed his troops were shot at on Bloody Sunday and returned fire within the rules of engagement. He said he saw or heard nothing which led him to believe that the paratroopers were out of control at any stage.