Alliance leader under fire

Tipped as the man to assume the mantle of Minister for Justice in Northern Ireland, Mr Ford made the comment last November in a briefing note e-mail which has been leaked.

SDLP MP for Foyle Mark Durkan accused Mr Ford of insensitivity. He said: "One thing he doesn't know is the importance of the Saville Inquiry and the significance of Bloody Sunday, not just to the families who lost loved ones but also to the community in Derry and many people beyond."

Sinn Fin's Raymond McCartney said that Mr Ford's remarks were "offensive", "gratuitous", and would be "received with disdain by the vast majority of the citizens of Derry."

Tony Doherty, whose father Patrick, was killed on Bloody Sunday described the remarks as "grossly insensitive" and that the Alliance leader "should be ashamed of himself."

The Saville Inquiry was set up in 1998 to examine the killings of 14 people in Derry on Sunday, January 30, 1972 during a banned anti-internment rally. The day subsequently became known as Bloody Sunday.