Election delay to Bloody Sunday report

The Bloody Sunday report into the death of 14 people at the hands of the British Army will not be published until after the British General Election, it was confirmed today.

Lord Mark Saville has been asked to keep the mammoth dossier on the 1972 Derry shootings until after the May 6 poll, the Northern Ireland Office said.

A spokesman said: “Now that the Prime Minister has called an election, it will therefore not be possible to publish the Bloody Sunday report to Parliament before Parliament has been dissolved.

“The Secretary of State (Shaun Woodward) has today asked Lord Saville to continue to keep possession of the report and therefore not to hand it over to the Government until the election has taken place.

“It can then be published to Parliament as soon as is practicable after the new Parliament has convened.”

The Saville Inquiry was ordered by former prime minister Tony Blair and cost almost £200m (€228m).

Paratroopers opened fire on civil rights protesters in Londonderry in January 1972 and killed 13. One died later from injuries sustained.