Hillsborough Disaster Documents 'To Be Made Public'

Hundreds of official documents relating to the Hillsborough Disaster are to be made public for the first time, following a 20-year campaign for justice by the victim's families.

Medical files and police reports are among the files which could be made public ten years early, after a request was made by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

The documents are currently subject to the 30-year rule, which effectively would keep them under lock and key for another decade.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans were crushed to death in Britain's worst football tragedy at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium on April 15, 1989. Liverpool had met Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final.

Families of the victim's have welcomed the move.

Trevor Hicks, of the Hillsborough Families Support Group said: "This will enable us to see the full picture of events in a way that we have been denied for 20 years.

"It is vital that these files are released in full and not sanitised in any way."

In a statement, the Home Secretary said: "The Government is committed to helping those who lost loved ones in the Hillsborough tragedy.

"That is why I will be working with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Attorney General’s Office to put out any information that exists that could shed light on the disaster and its aftermath in the public domain as soon as possible."

The 20th anniversary of the tragedy was marked with memorial services in Liverpool, Sheffield and Nottingham last Wednesday, amidst calls for further investigations.

Culture Minister Andy Burnham was heckled during the memorial service at Liverpool's Anfield grounds by fans demanding justice.

He said: "There is a case for full disclosure by any public body of any document previously unpublished which would shed light on the disaster and its aftermath. It is vital that we have transparency."

(JM/KMcA)