Police could face prosecution on Hillsborough

The Home Secretary has pledged prosecutions will be brought against any South Yorkshire police officers and other individuals found to have broken the law following the publication of the damning report into the Hillsborough disaster.

Theresa May said yesterday she was still digesting the “deeply shocking and disturbing” 400-page report published last week by the Hillsborough Independent Panel, but was “absolutely clear” that those who broke the law should be prosecuted wherever possible.

Home Office officials have now been asked to ensure the necessary resources are in place “to facilitate any and all investigations into individual and systemic issues”, Mrs May said.

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Representatives of the families of the 96 Liverpool supporters who died in the stadium disaster said they were “heartened” by the Home Secretary’s words.

Shadow Home Secretary and Normanton MP Yvette Cooper warned, however, that new powers and funding may also be required for the Independent Police Complaints Commissions (IPCC), to ensure it is able to carry out a full investigation into the conduct of South Yorkshire Police and former officers involved in the disaster and its aftermath.

The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, who chaired the panel during its 20-month investigation, added that wider “systems” must also be closely looked at in the Government’s response, as well as focusing on the individuals concerned.

Mrs May’s comments, made in a letter to Keith Vaz, chairman of Parliament’s home affairs committee, represent her first public statement since the report was published last Wednesday.

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The independent panel concluded that Liverpool supporters were in no way to blame for the fatal crush at Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium in April 1989, and laid bare a cover-up and smear campaign by South Yorkshire Police.

Mrs May said: “We are still digesting what is a comprehensive report into a complicated series of issues, as well as the various ways in which the report needs to be acted upon in order to move from truth to justice.

“That being said, I am absolutely clear that those who have broken the law should be pursued and, if the evidence is sufficient, prosecuted.

“Investigating individual criminality where there is new evidence or new allegations that have not previously been investigated, whether on the part of serving or retired police officers, is the remit of the IPCC.”

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South Yorkshire Police said on Friday it was preparing to refer the force and individual officers to the IPCC for investigation.

West Yorkshire Police has referred its own chief constable, Sir Norman Bettison, to the IPCC over concerns about his role in the disaster’s aftermath while working in South Yorkshire.

The IPCC investigation is likely to be on a significant scale, with many of the officers now being spread around the country.

Ms Cooper warned new powers and funding may be required if the operation is to be a success.

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“I remain concerned that the IPCC will need more powers and, potentially, resources to deliver the depth of investigation needed to get justice over Hillsborough,” she said.

“Everyone wants this investigation to be robust, resourced and empowered so that it can get to the truth and pursue a proper criminal investigation.

“It is really important the IPCC have the practical support and powers they need to achieve this.”

Hillsborough Family Support Group chairwoman Margaret Aspinall said she was “heartened” by the Home Secretary’s statement.

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“We will also be keeping a very close eye on the relevant bodies ourselves to make sure everything is done properly,” she said.

“We won’t be behind the scenes. We have to be kept informed of everything that is going on.”