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Police body apologises over 'disgraceful' Hillsborough statement

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found 12 officers involved in the handling of the tragedy would have faced charges of gross misconduct if they were still serving. South Yorkshire Police Federation said the report was "opinion dressed up as fact"

[The city of Liverpool remembered the victims of Hillsborough earlier this year]

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Liverpool remembers the victims of the tragedy(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

The chief executive of a police body has apologised for a statement issued after a report into the Hillsborough disaster was made public.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found 12 officers involved would have faced charges of gross misconduct if they were still serving.

The tragedy led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium on April 15, 1989 in the Reds' semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

In a statement, shared after the report's findings were published, South Yorkshire Police Federation said it was "opinion dressed up as fact".

CEO of the Police Federation, Mukund Krishna said the now-deleted post was "wrong" and Liverpool had suffered "unimaginable loss".

In his letter to Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, who described the post as a "disgrace", Mr Krishna said it "fell far short of the care, sensitivity and respect that those lost at Hillsborough, survivors and bereaved families deserve".

The deleted post had stated: "Former police officers, some of whom are very elderly and some who have sadly passed away, do not have any kind of due process or the ability to formally respond to the allegations made in this report."

[The people of Liverpooll remember the Hillsborough tragedy]

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Liverpool remembers the victims of Hillsborough earlier this year(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

It added the report's findings were the "opinions of the IOPC essentially being dressed up as statements of almost fact" and said former officers "should not face trial by media".

Margaret Aspinall, whose son James was 18 when he was killed, said they were "lucky" to have grown old and the South Yorkshire Police Federation response was an "insult". In his letter to Mr Byrne, Mr Krishna said: "The statement intended to raise a narrow and legitimate point about due process for police officers; a principle which is fundamental to our justice system and applies to all citizens. "However, it was expressed in an inappropriate and insensitive way that did not reflect the events at Hillsborough or the lived experiences of families since then."

In 2021, South Yorkshire and West Midlands police forces admitted making "serious errors".

They agreed to pay damages to more than 600 people for the disaster cover up.

Mr Krishna offered to meet families affected by the disaster to apologise.

He also said he woud "discuss the report and its impact on policing". Mr Byrne, who attended the 1989 game, accepted the apology and welcomed the "decision to reach out to the families and offer an in-person apology."

He added it was "the very least they deserve".

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