British Prime Minister makes formal Commons apology over Ballymurphy

Undated Ballymurphy Massacre Committee handout file photos of the victims (Ballymurphy Massacre Committee/PA)

Boris Johnson has made a formal House of Commons apology to the families of the Ballymurphy victims.

Opening Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson read out the names of the victims killed in west Belfast 50 years ago in shootings involving British soldiers.

The British Prime Minister added to MPs: “On behalf of successive governments, and to put on the record in this House, I’d like to say sorry to their families for how the investigations were handled, for the pain they’ve endured since their campaign began almost five decades ago.”

The apology comes after a coroner found the 10 people who died in August 1971 were “entirely innocent”.

The British Army was found to be responsible for nine of the 10 deaths, which included a mother-of-eight and a Catholic priest.