The families of the victims of Bloody Sunday have launched a new legal bid to re-open the investigation into their deaths.

They are seeking a judicial review, trying to overturn the decision by the PSNI Chief Constable to close the official police inquiry.

13 people were killed on Bloody Sunday in 1972, when British Army officers opened fire against nationalist demonstrators at a civil rights march in Derry.

In a statement, solicitor Peter Madden – who is representing the victims' families - said the PSNI was ignoring acts of murder by the British armed forces.

The statement in full:

“We have today lodged judicial review proceedings challenging the decision by the Chief Constable to effectively end this multiple murder investigation. We are taking these proceedings on behalf of twenty of our clients who are the next of kin of those murdered, the wounded and the families of the wounded who have since died.

“The Chief Constable’s decision to end this murder enquiry was made on the eve of the commencement of the process where the soldiers were to be interviewed under caution. Less than six months ago the PSNI talked of its “statutory duty to investigate fully all matters of serious crime, including murder”, in its pursuit of the Boston College Tapes. It appears that this statutory duty does not extend to murders committed by the British Army.”