Hillsborough disaster cop off the hook

London – A former British police chief constable accused of lying over his role in the 1989 Hillsborough soccer stadium crush in which 96 fans died will no longer face any charges, prosecutors said yesterday after a review of evidence.

Norman Bettison had been charged with four offences of misconduct in public office related to his alleged lies about his involvement in the aftermath of the disaster and the culpability of fans.

Prosecutors announced last year they would bring criminal charges against six people, including Bettison and other former police chiefs, over the deaths and an alleged subsequent cover-up by police of their own mistakes.

The victims, all Liverpool supporters, died in an overcrowded, fenced-in enclosure at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, northern England, during an FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Police at first blamed the tragedy on drunken fans, an explanation that was always rejected by survivors, relatives of the victims and the wider Liverpool community. Families spent decades campaigning for justice for the 96.

The Crown Prosecution Service said yesterday it had discontinued the case against Bettison following a number of developments.

“These include changes in the evidence of two witnesses and the death of a third witness,” said the service.

“Our latest review of the evidence has concluded the collective impact of these developments means there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.” – Reuters