Sean Kelly: Shankill bomber will not be prosecuted over clash

Sean Kelly was convicted of murdering nine people in the October 1993 bombing at Frizzell's fish shop on Belfast's Shankill Road

Shankill bomber Sean Kelly will not be prosecuted over an incident at a shopping centre in Belfast last month.

Police launched an investigation after footage emerged which appeared to show him being restrained.

But the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said the evidence "did not provide a reasonable prospect of conviction for any offence".

Kelly, 46, was convicted of the 1993 IRA bombing of a Shankill Road fish shop in which nine civilians died.

He was given nine life sentences for his role in the attack, but was released in July 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

In a statement issued after the video emerged, the Shankill Families group called for the Northern Ireland secretary to revoke Kelly's licence and return him to prison.

It is understood that Kelly attended a police station to be interviewed about the incident.

Police passed a file to the PPS, who said that Kelly was considered for charges of common assault, possession of an offensive weapon and disorderly behaviour.

The video was shared on social media platforms last month

A PPS spokesperson told BBC News NI: "The key evidence in this case was a clip of video footage which clearly only captured part of a continuing incident.

"It was considered that the footage, by itself, was incapable of providing a reasonable prospect of conviction for any offence.

"It did not provide any context to the events which had been recorded such as how any confrontation had commenced or the circumstances in which a man holding what appeared to be a thin metal rod came to be in possession of it."

The PPS spokesperson said that "there was no evidence available from any witnesses that could have provided the missing context".

"In these circumstances, it was considered that it would not be possible for the prosecution to prove to the criminal standard of proof any narrative of events consistent with the commission of a criminal offence."

The PPS spokesperson said it acknowledged "the level of concern caused by the video after it was circulated on social media, and we appreciate this outcome will be disappointing to those who share those concerns".

"However, we can offer reassurance that this decision was reached only after a most careful examination and consideration of the evidence and information available."