THE British Government is not planning to offer a full apology for the 1919 Amritsar massacre, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has revealed.

During a visit to the Black Country, which has one of the biggest Sikh populations in the world, Mr Johnson was asked directly by Halesowen News reporter Adam Smith whether the Government should offer an apology for the massacre in the run up to the 100th anniversary in 2019.

He said: "Well, it is certainly right we should be very sensitive to feelings of our Sikh communities.

"I am very conscious of the importance of that date in the memory of the Sikh community."

He added: "My own wife's family are Sikh so I am acutely aware of the issue.

"We will be taking steps to make sure when the time comes we mark the anniversary in the appropriate way."

The Foreign Secretary's response to the question whether the Government should officially apologise, as other countries including Germany, Canada, South Africa and America have apologised for historic crimes, was slammed by those in the Sikh community.

Bhai Jatinder Singh, the Sikh Federation (UK) regional co-ordinator for the West Midlands, said: "Boris Johnson was clearly rattled when asked whether the British Government would officially apologise for the 1919 Amritsar massacre. "On the eve of the Mayoral elections in the West Midlands and during a General Election campaign this was the perfect opportunity for him as Foreign Secretary and given his wife’s Sikh background to signal that on the 100th anniversary the British Prime Minister would offer a full apology in Parliament.”

On April 13, 2019, it will be 100 years since the massacre by British soldiers in Amritsar, under orders from Colonel Reginald Dyer they opened fire on 10,000 peaceful protestors. The British Government figures claimed 379 people died, Indian figures, however, put the total over 1,000.

The Sikh Federation (UK) is spearheading a campaign that the British Prime Minister should offer an unreserved apology in Parliament.

Mr Singh added: "This is the minimum the Sikh community in the West Midlands, UK and across the globe deserve."