Lord Bramall: 'Stop Investigations Into Soldiers Over Bloody Sunday'

An archive photo of Lord Bramall in September 2000 (Picture: PA).

The former head of the British Army has called for the Government to end investigations into soldiers over Northern Ireland.

Lord Bramall said it was "absurd and grossly unfair" that personnel who took part in the events of Bloody Sunday are being questioned by police now.

Lord Bramall, who served as Chief of General Staff (CGS) between 1979 and 1982, wrote in the Daily Telegraph that he has warned that House of Commons against such action over eight years ago:

"It is... bewildering that the Government has somehow allowed the Northern Ireland Police Service to resurrect the whole affair and to introduce this extremely lengthy and slow-moving questioning under caution of British soldiers."

He said the questioning "greatly abuses these hapless soldiers, who should not have been there in the first place", adding:

"Whatever their shortcomings, they were trying to do their duty as they thought fit in aid of the civil power, as the Army has generally done most successfully over so many years.

"In the interests of justice, fair play and even-handedness, the Government must, by whatever means, put a stop at once to this macabre charade."

The former CGS's comments come after the Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter praised the British Army in Northern Ireland for the "remarkable job" they did.

He added that groundless allegations against soldiers risked undermining the Army's fighting spirit.

He promised that soldiers facing any investigation would be looked after "to the best of our ability".

MPs have called on the Government to introduce a statute of limitations to end what they claim is a "witch hunt" against members of the armed forces.

Many Conservative MPs were angered when Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley presented a consultation document on dealing with the legacy of the Troubles and it did not include provision for a statute of limitations.

But Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has pledged to look at "all options" to protect veterans from legacy investigations amid fears Second World War campaign survivors could be targeted.