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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Cathy Owen

Hundreds of army veterans take to the streets of Cardiff in protest

Army veterans have held a protest march in Cardiff.

Hundreds turned out in support of former soldiers who are facing prosecution in Northern Ireland.

They walked and rode motorbikes from Sophia Gardens, along the front of the castle to the grounds of City Hall.

Events were also being held in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Glasgow.

It has been organised by the Justice for Northern Ireland Veterans group, which is opposed for the pending prosecutive of Soldier F - which is the code name for the only serviceman set to stand trial over the Bloody Sunday shootings.

The protest ended up outside City Hall (Richard Swingler)
The protest outside Caridff's City Hall (Richard Swingler)

Soldier F is one of 17 former members of the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment who were investigated over the violence which left 13 people dead in Londonderry in 1972.

Earlier this year, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that the soldier, whose identity is being protected, is to face prosecution for the murders of James Wray and William McKinney.

New Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt has said she is determined to end the "chilling" threat of repeated investigations into alleged historical offences by British troops who served in Northern Ireland.

(Richard Swingler)

Ms Mordaunt said she wanted plans to strengthen the legal protections for military personnel who served on overseas operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan to be extended to cover veterans of the Troubles.

The Defence Secretary has signalled she intends to create a "statutory presumption" against prosecution of current or former personnel for alleged offences committed in the course of duty abroad more than 10 years ago.

The legislation, which is subject to public consultation, will stipulate that such prosecutions are not in the public interest unless there are "exceptional circumstances", such as if compelling new evidence emerged.

Tory MP Johnny Mercer is refusing to vote for Government legislation in the Commons until it ends such historical inquires.

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