He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership of Nato forces in the Kosovo War and headed the British Army during the invasion of Iraq.

But back in 1971 General Sir Mike Jackson was a captain in the Parachute Regiment serving in Belfast, with specific responsibility for press relations.

And today he gave evidence at the inquest into the deaths of 10 civilians, including a mother of 8 and a Catholic priest, who were killed across three days in August of that year, months before bloody Sunday.

His testimony has sparked fury from some relatives of the dead as our chief correspondent reports now from the inquest in Belfast.