Paul O'Connor claims under consideration by police

Paul O'Connor

Paul O'Connor is director of the Derry-based Pat Finucane Centre

Police are considering claims made by a former IRA bomber about human rights campaigner Paul O'Connor.

Mr O'Connor, director of the Londonderry-based Pat Finucane Centre, has confirmed to several newspapers he joined the IRA in 1970, aged 15.

He said he was ordered to leave less than two years later for failing to follow orders.

However, he strongly denies any involvement over the death of another young IRA member.

The claims were made in a blog by Shane Paul O'Doherty and have appeared in several newspapers.

O'Doherty, who served 15 years in prison following a letter-bomb campaign in England in 1976, alleged he was sworn into the IRA in 1970 along with Mr O'Connor.

He also alleged Mr O'Connor was there when IRA volunteer James O'Hagan, 16, was shot in an IRA bomb-making factory.

Mr O'Connor told the Irish News he was not present at the time of the shooting as he was at home sick.

'A strong dose of scepticism'

The Pat Finucane Centre, a human rights' organisation established in memory of the murdered Belfast solicitor, advised people to take these allegations with a strong dose of scepticism.

"At the time of these allegations (48 years ago), Paul was a 16-year-old schoolboy. Just over a year later he left Ireland to live in Germany and the USA," the organisation said.

"Since 1980 Paul has lived openly in Derry. He has never been questioned by the RUC or PSNI about any matter relating to the death of James O'Hagan.

"It follows that he has never been charged or convicted of any Troubles-related offences."

If the police wanted to reopen the James O'Hagan case and investigators wished to speak to Mr O'Connor, the centre added, then they would "expect him to fully cooperate".

Ulster Unionist Party MLA Doug Beattie called on police to "robustly investigate" the activities of Mr O'Connor "as a matter of extreme urgency".

Victims' campaigner Alan McBride, whose wife was killed in the Shankill bombing, said Mr O'Connor was a "true champion" of Troubles' victims and should not be judged on his past.