'Shoot rioters to keep peace'.

Byline: HELEN WILLIAM

THE British army's top ground officer on Bloody Sunday said he suggested some rioters be shot to maintain law and order.

General Sir Robert Ford, 78, told the Saville Inquiry he made the suggestion in a secret memo to superiors three weeks before 13 civilians were killed by Paras during a civil rights march in Derry on January 30, 1972.

The idea was to "shoot selected ringleaders" among the Bogside's rioters - dubbed the Derry Young Hooligans (DYH) - with low-powered ammunition.

Sir Robert said the aim was to incapacitate a band of DYH who created anarchy by stone-throwing, destruction and arson while hidden under sniper fire.

He told the inquiry he was not advocating a shoot-to-kill policy because "shoot and kill are obviously different words".

Sir Robert rejected as "ridiculous" claims that Bloody Sunday was his memo brought to life.

He added: "It is certainly not the case, if it be suggested, that the march of January 30 was used, or was intended to be used, as an opportunity to put into effect the discussion points I had put to the GOC in my memorandum of January 7, 1972."

Sir Robert said he was aware his suggestion was outside the army's rules of engagement but it was not implemented. It was merely a possible idea of how to deal with the hooligan threat.

CAPTION(S):

INQUIRY: Sir Robert