Eversheds paid 11 million for Bloody Sunday Inquiry

City firm Eversheds has been paid nearly 11 million for its work on the Bloody Sunday Inquiry so far, it emerged this week.According to figures released by the Northern Ireland Office, the firm has been paid 10,814,000 in fees and expenses for work on the Saville inquiry into events of January 1972.Eversheds is the only firm contracted to take witness statements for the inquiry, which began work in 1998, and statements have so far been taken from more than 1,500 people, with evidence gathering set to continue until early next year.A spokesman for Eversheds refused to comment on the figures.The inquiry is the most expensive tribunal in British legal history - having so far cost 52 million - and is expected to total more than 100 million by the time its report is published in early 2004.

Fees and expenses for the 12 barristers and 10 QCs have so far totalled 7.2 million, with 13.3 million spent on technology.Victoria MacCallum