Bloody Sunday: Police investigators finish interviewing former soldiers

The Saville inquiry into Bloody Sunday took 12 years to complete and exonerated those who died.

The police have finished interviewing former soldiers as part of their investigation into Bloody Sunday.

Thirteen people were shot dead in Londonderry on 30 January 1972, and a 14th victim died later, after troops opened fire on a civil rights march.

A report is now being compiled, which will be sent to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

The MLA and veteran civil rights leader Eamonn McCann said it was a significant development.

"The news that all the former British soldiers associated with Bloody Sunday have now been interviewed under caution marks another milestone on the long march towards the truth," he said.

"The interviews with the surviving soldiers were completed last month. The families shouldn't have to hang on any longer.

"The PSNI had estimated that the current investigation would take four years. Four years have already passed," said Mr McCann.

The Bloody Sunday Investigation was set up as part of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Legacy Investigation Branch.

It re-investigates unsolved murder cases, dating from the beginning of the Troubles in the late 1960s up to 2004.

The next step will be for the PPS to look at the final report from the PSNI investigators and make a recommendation as to whether charges should be brought.

Det Ch Insp Ian Harrison said: "Police have concluded interviews with former military personnel and are in the process of compiling a report for the PPS.

"The families have been informed of this and we will continue to keep them updated in relation to developments," he said.

In 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron apologised to the Bloody Sunday victims on behalf of the state, after a long-running public inquiry unequivocally blamed the Army for the civilian deaths.