Bloody Sunday soldier ordered to appear before Saville Inquiry

A former British soldier involved in the Bloody Sunday operation in Derry 31 years ago has been served with a subpoena ordering him to appear before the Saville Inquiry later today.

The subpoena was served after a lawyer told the inquiry that she believed Soldier L was unwilling to attend.

Tribunal chairman Lord Saville has warned the soldier that he had weeks to prepare for his evidence and would face serious consequences if he failed to show up.

Soldier L was expected to tell the inquiry that he witnessed another soldier standing over a man and repeatedly shooting him on Bloody Sunday, when 13 Catholic civil rights marchers were shot dead by the British army.

He was also expected to claim that he saw Bishop Edward Daly hiding two rifles inside his cassock.