‘You were not there’ Hillsborough witness told by police

Deborah Martin (pictured right), who tried to help the dying and injured who had been caught up in the crush at the Leppings Lane end of stadium, told Granada Televison that she was repeatedly visited by two police officers from West Yorkshire police and told that her original statement did not weigh up.

She says the police officers said that her original statement did not exist and that they told her: “You weren’t at Hillsborough that day”.

Ms Martin, who was pictured in the gym that was used as a makeshift mortuary in newspaper photographs, said that she thought that they asked for the changes because she they needed “the whole thing rounded off”.

She said that some of the information in her statement included the fact that the police did not want the stadium gates to be opened and reports that contradicted the claim that all 96 were dead or were past saving by 3.15pm.

She had been with the dying teenager Kevin Williams, who was still alive more than half an hour later.

“That is a total, total lie,” Ms Martin said. “Kevin died in my arms. That was going about ten to four… There were a few others who were dying about the same time.

To say everyone died at quarter past three, it was not right.”

Anne Williams interview

Kevin Williams’ mother Anne, told Channel 4 News that, but for the insertion of a simple rubber tube in his airway, he might be alive today. Mrs Williams has always refused to collect the death certificate for her 15-year-old son because of its conclusion of accidental death.

Special constable Ms Martin, who described how she felt heartbroken after the request by the South Yorkshire policewoman to rewrite her statement, said she was eventually was forced sign the new one.

Ms Martin has since found her original statement, and agrees that the police deserve criticism for what happened that day. She has insisted that instead of a cover up, the force should have admitted to their role in the tragedy.