A murder inquiry into the Bloody Sunday killings in Derry is to begin in the new year.

14 people died after British paratroopers opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in 1972.

The decision to investigate follows a review of the findings of the Saville public inquiry.

Senior commanders from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have briefed relatives of those who died.

Inquiry found killings were unjustified

Police had signalled earlier this year of their intent to investigate the incident after they and prosecutors reviewed the findings of the Saville public inquiry.

After the 12-year inquiry Lord Saville found that the killings were unjustified and none of the dead posed a threat when they were shot.

That contradicted the long-standing official version of events which had exonerated soldiers of blame.

This prompted the British Prime Minister David Cameron to apologise to the relatives.