Hillsborough Report Released: Cameron Apologises For 'Double Injustice'

Following the long fought for release of an independent report into previously unseen documents on the Hillsborough tragedy, Prime Minister David Cameron has said he is profoundly sorry for the "double injustice" of the Hillsborough disaster.

Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday, the prime minister said the findings in the report were "deeply distressing".

"With the weight of the new evidence in the report it's right for me today as prime minister to make a proper apology to the families of the 96 … On behalf of the government, and indeed of our country, I am profoundly sorry that this double injustice has been left uncorrected for so long."

In 1989 ninety-six fans died after a crush at Sheffield Wednesday's ground.

The new report by the Hillsborough independent panel, established three years ago and chaired by the bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, found that there was a failure of authorities to protect people and an attempt to blame fans.

The panel concluded that the main cause of the Hillsborough disaster was a "failure in police control" but also revealed "multiple failures" within other organisations that compromised crowd safety.

It underlined the "clear operational failure" that led to the disaster and the attempts by South Yorkshire police (SYP) and the ambulance service to cover up their shortcomings.

The fact that the ambulance service also altered statements from staff is revealed for the first time.

The evidence shows "conclusively" that Liverpool fans "neither caused nor contributed to the deaths" and shows the extent to which attempts, endorsed by the South Yorkshire chief constable Peter Wright, were made to smear them.

Documents released to the panel show how high-ranking police sources, the South Yorkshire Police Federation and the Tory MP Irvine Patnick were responsible for feeding the stories to Whites News Agency in Yorkshire.

The panel said: "The Police Federation, supported informally by the SYP chief constable, sought to develop and publicise a version of events derived in police officers' allegations of drunkenness, ticketless fans and violence. This extended beyond the media to parliament."

"From the mass of documents, television and CCTV coverage disclosed to the panel there is no evidence to support these allegations other than a few isolated examples of aggressive or verbally abusive behaviour clearly reflecting frustration and desperation. The vast majority of fans on the pitch assisted in rescuing and evacuating the dead and injured."

The panel found that 164 police statements were significantly amended and 116 explicitly removed negative comments about the policing operation.

Officers carried out police national computer checks on those who had died in an attempt "to impugn the reputations of the deceased" and the coroner took blood alcohol levels from all of the deceased, including children.

Cameron went on to add that it would be for the attorney general to decide whether to apply to the high court to quash the original inquest and seek a new one, as the families are demanding. But he added that it was clear "today's report raises vital questions which must be examined".

Trevor Hicks, who chairs the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: "We feel a breakthrough has been made.

"The truth is out today and the justice starts tomorrow."

(H)