A former soldier is to hand back a service medal in protest at the decision to charge an ex-Para over Bloody Sunday.

The Public Prosecution Service says there is enough evidence to prosecute 'Soldier F' for the murders of James Wray and William McKinney on January 30, 1972. He is also facing prosecution for the attempted murders of four others.

Now in his 70s, he is the only former Paratrooper to be charged over the massacre.

The Saville Inquiry declared all 14 civilians shot dead by the Army on Bloody Sunday as innocent, and Prime Minister David Cameron issued a state apology in the House of Commons, describing the actions of the Parachute Regiment that day as "unjustified and unjustifiable".

Writing on Facebook, one former soldier said he had decided to send back his NI General Service Medal.

He wrote: "In light of Soldier F, as a show of solidarity I plan to send my NI medal to 10 Downing Street with a letter telling the powers that be how disgusted and ashamed we are with them, and what they can do with our medals and how far they can shove them."

Angry veterans are planning to march on Downing Street, and to picket the courthouse during the trial.

They are also raising funds to provide Soldier F with an independent legal team because they fear lawyers appointed by the Ministry of Defence could put the Government's interests first.

The veterans have received the backing of former Army Colonel Richard Kemp.

He said: "While IRA terrorists were given early releases and royal pardons, our soldiers have been hounded. Soldiers have been treated worse than terrorists."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said, however, that it is right members of the armed forces are held to account for incidents during the Troubles.

Mr Corbyn said the "law must apply to everyone", and denied there was a discrepancy between investigations into soldiers and those into republican suspects who were sent "comfort letters" offering effective immunity from prosecution.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Corbyn said "we should have a fair and proper judicial process", adding that what happened on Bloody Sunday was "awful and appalling".

He added: "I do think it's important to have the independence of a legal process, and there has to be an insurance that everyone has to abide by the law."

Mr Corbyn was pressed on whether it was fair, given how those members of the IRA suspected of crimes were offered an amnesty in the peace process.

The Labour leader replied: "The Good Friday Agreement was important, seminal and complicated, but it does not provide complete immunity for everyone, it was never intended to."

Meanwhile, Labour's shadow attorney general Shami Chakrabarti has criticised the comments of Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson in support of Soldier F.

Mr Williamson has said the Ministry of Defence will pay the former soldier's full legal costs.

Ms Chakrabarti told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show she approves of anyone accused of serious crimes getting "full, complete five-star legal aid".

But she added: "It's not about wannabe Prime Ministers who are currently Defence Secretary giving coded messages of support to one defendant or another, it's about saying anybody who's been charged with murder, which is the most serious offence in our law, should get the best possible defence and it should be paid for by the state."

Belfast Telegraph