Hillsborough: UK’s ‘largest ever’ police inquiry launched

Following the findings of the Hillsborough report, published by the Hillsborough independent panel last month, the Independent Police Complaints Commission has reviewed the evidence to ascertain what police conduct needs investigation.

The police watchdog will also work with the director of public prosecutions to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against individuals or corporate bodies.

The IPCC was making today’s announcement after reviewing the evidence published in the Hillsborough report. The report found that, among other allegations, senior police officers had altered police statements to protect themselves, and had tried to cast a negative light on the actions of fans to deflect attention away from themselves.

We will do everything in our power to investigate these serious and disturbing allegations – IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass

It also found that 41 of the 96 people who died in the 1989 football disaster had the “potential to live” after the crucial time of 3:15pm, the time at which a coroner ruled no action could have saved them. You can find the full report and its evidence here.

Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC, said that “without a shadow of a doubt”, the investigation will be the largest ever in the UK, and said the body would not “underestimate” the size of its task.

“We do not yet know how many officers or retired officers fall to be investigated for the various matters we have identified, how many are still serving or still alive,” she said. “Work will continue to identify individuals and their circumstances, and what potential offences require investigation.”

Hillsborough: Inside the library of a cover-up - read the damning evidence

The IPCC has said today that there are “a number of matters” which require investigation: they are:

• The amendments to statements – who ordered it, who knew about it, who was involved in the process, and was pressure put on individual officers?
• The allegations that misleading information was passed to the media, MPs, parliament and inquiries in an apparent attempt to deflect blame from the police on to the fans.
• The actions of police officers after the disaster, including the questioning of next of kin about alcohol consumption, the checking of blood alcohol levels and the undertaking of police national computer checks on the dead and injured.
• The role of West Midlands Police and those who led that investigation into the disaster.

Both South Yorkshire Police, who dealt with the tragedy, and West Midlands Police, who investigated how South Yorkshire handled the disaster, will come under scrutiny.

Sir Norman Bettison, the former chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, has been referred to the IPCC over allegations that he provided misleading information after the tragedy. He will will be one of the officers under investigation.

The families have already waited for 23 years,” Ms Glass said. “I want to give them my assurance that we will do everything in our power to investigate these serious and disturbing allegations with the careful and robust scrutiny they deserve.”