Orgreave documents could be published

A clash between miners and police during the 1984-85 miners' strike become known as the Battle of Ogreave

Mrs Rudd confirmed the Home Office holds three files relating to the clash between police and striking miners at the Orgreave coking plant at the height of the 1984-84 miners’ strike.

In a letter to Yvette Cooper, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mrs Rudd said two of the files “with some redactions” are to be released to the National Archives.

“The files should becomepublicly available in the first half of 2017,” she wrote.

The Home Office is considering what should happen to a third file, titled ‘Interception of communications: police statements during the mineworkers dispute 1984’ with a decision expected by the end of January.

In a separate letter, Cabinet Office Minister Ben Gummer has confirmed his department holds six “situation reports” and two extracts of letters written by the home secretary to prime minister Margaret Thatcher at the time of the dispute.

The material was being reviewed “with a view to declassifying and releasing as much as possible”. the letter said.

Ms Cooper, the Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford MP, said: “Step by step we are getting the Government to release more information about Orgreave.

“We will continue to probe the police and Government to find out what more information they hold.

“People in coalfield communities want to know the truth about what happened in Orgreave that day.”

Mrs Rudd angered campaigners last year when she refused to order an inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave and the police’s actions in the aftermath.