Several of the families of the 13 people shot dead by British paratroopers in Derry on Bloody Sunday have agreed to meet the Chief Constable of the PSNI, who last month described the inquiry into the January 1972 killings as "a waste of public money".
The meeting between the Chief Constable, Mr Hugh Orde, and a minority of the relatives of the 13 victims is scheduled to take place in Derry next Thursday.
A similar meeting, due to have taken place in Derry on February 22nd, was called off after a Sinn Féin representative told members of the families that Sinn Féin opposed such a meeting.
However, it is understood that up to six of the families have now agreed to a private meeting with Mr Orde and that at the meeting they will formally ask him to apologise for his controversial comment, something he has so far refused to do.
Mr Orde was quoted in the Financial Times on February 18th as describing the inquiry as a waste of money. The article also quoted him as saying: "Apart from making lawyers millionaires, will it satisfy the families? I don't think so." He also said the cost "must be heading for £200 million; that's two police colleges".
After his comments were reported, several relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims said Mr Orde should consider his position.
The Northern Ireland Office Minister, Mr Des Browne, said Mr Orde would "have to account for his own language". Mr Browne added that Mr Orde's comments were not supported by the British government.
The Chief Constable had said he would be "delighted" to meet the families to explain to them the background to his comments.
A source close to the families said: "Obviously it was a difficult decision for us to agree to meet with him, but we do want a full explanation from him over his comments about the inquiry, particularly about the fact that he seems to have prejudged the outcome of the inquiry."