Funeral takes place for Joe Clarke, one of the Hooded Men

People carry the coffin of Joe Clarke, one of a group known as the Hooded Men, for his burial at Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast . Picture:Liam McBurney/PA

The funeral has taken place in Belfast for Joe Clarke – one of a group known as the Hooded Men, who were subjected to controversial interrogation techniques in the 1970s.

Mr Clarke died this week at the age of 71, just before it was announced publicly that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had apologised to the men.

Several hundred people gathered in the west of the city, including former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, for the funeral procession.

An Irish tricolour was placed on top of the coffin which was accompanied by a lone piper, before it travelled by hearse to Milltown Cemetery.

Some of the other Hooded Men were among the mourners.

Brian Shivers (front right) the son of Pat Shivers, one of a group known as the Hooded Men (Liam McBurney/PA)

Police in Northern Ireland this week issued an apology to the group.

It came after the Supreme Court ruled in December that the PSNI was wrong not to investigate allegations of torture.

The 14 Hooded Men were subjected to a series of controversial interrogation techniques by the Army and police when they were interned without trial in Northern Ireland in 1971.

The techniques included hooding and being put in stress positions, forced to listen to white noise, and deprived of sleep, food and water.

They were also thrown from helicopters that were hovering close to the ground, having been told the aircraft were hundreds of feet in the air.

Representatives of the men had a private meeting with senior police officers in Belfast on Tuesday.

Mr Clarke died on Monday. The apology was hand-delivered to him on his death bed by his solicitor.