FAMILIES of the 14 people killed on Bloody Sunday said they were "hopeful" of a fresh inquiry after a meeting with the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam.
Relatives of the dead, along with two people who were wounded in the shootings 25 years ago, spent an hour with Dr Mowlam in London yesterday after delivering a petition with 40,000 signatures to Downing Street.
She told them she was looking at material about Bloody Sunday, when 27 people were shot by paratroopers, leaving 14 dead and 13 injured. The information she is studying includes material that was given by the families to former Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, and an Irish Government dossier handed to the British government by the then Taoiseach, Mr John Bruton.
Mr John Kelly, chairman of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign, said the families were looking for an independent international inquiry with judicial powers.
They had never been satisfied with the original inquiry which cleared the British army.
Mr Kelly (48), from Derry, whose 17-year-old brother Michael was among the dead, said of yesterday's meeting: "It was friendly and cordial and very constructive."
"She listened very sympathetically to us and she seemed to be a genuine person. Hopefully she will address the issue and address it very, very soon. Hopefully, she will certainly open her mind to a new independent inquiry."
Mr Michael Bradley (47), from Derry, who was shot in the arms and has never worked since Bloody Sunday, added: "I'm very optimistic at this stage of moving forward. She seemed to be very straight, there was nothing hidden about her. She seemed to be a fair lady even though she has got a lot on her plate at the moment."
Mr Bradley said she had indicated it could take her three to four months to come to a decision about what to do.