Outrage af ter Hillsborough cops told: You did a good job
HILLSBOROUGH campaigners reacted furiously yesterday after retired police officers were told they did ‘a good job’ despite the deaths of 96 fans.
They said a claim that police remained ‘dignified’ after being subjected to ‘bile and hatred’ over their role in Britain’s worst sporting disaster was ‘totally insensitive’.
The comments by Rick Naylor, secretary of the South Yorkshire branch of the National Association of Retired Police Officers, were published on its website by mistake.
The retired chief superintendent fled his Sheffield home yesterday, saying: ‘I’m about to jump in my caravan and disappear.’
South Yorkshire Police faces continuing anger over its efforts to avoid blame for the 1989 disaster, even after an inquest jury this week criticised police failures while exonerating Liverpool fans, prompting senior politicians to brand it ‘rotten’.
Chief Constable David Crompton was suspended on Wednesday after instructing lawyers at the hearing to highlight allegations of drunkenness and misbehaviour by supporters.
As the fallout from the unlawful killing verdict on Tuesday continued to spread, it emerged that:
The force’s Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings refused to say if he knew of corruption claims against Mr Crompton’s deputy, Dawn Copley, before making her acting chief constable;
In 2012, Mr Crompton repeatedly exchanged messages with Sir Norman Bettison, the former police chief accused of trying to ‘concoct a story that all the Liverpool fans were drunk’;
Mr Crompton is set to retire this year with a £2million pension pot because he is not facing disciplinary action.
In his statement, Mr Naylor – who was on duty at Hillsborough on the day of the disaster – described the ‘damning’ inquest verdicts as ‘a bad day’.
He said ‘mistakes were made and we would all like to turn the clock back’, but added: ‘You will be feeling sore, angry and disheartened and that is understandable but you did a good job – we all did!’
Steve Rotheram, Labour MP for Liverpool Walton, said: ‘I don’t think there was bile and hatred towards police officers.
‘I think the bile and hatred was one way, and that was towards Liverpool fans.’
Barry Devonside, whose son, Christopher, 18, died in the tragedy, said it was wrong to say officers at the match had done ‘a good job’, adding: ‘I saw police officers endeavouring to give CPR, and those people were excellent. But the sad thing is they were only a few.’
Dr Billings suspended Mr Crompton after his barrister at the inquest highlighted testimony suggesting Liverpool fans had been drunk.
After he made Dawn Copley acting chief constable, it emerged yesterday that she was under investigation over corruption claims at her previous force, Greater Manchester Police.
A Freedom of Information request also revealed Mr Crompton was in regular touch with the then West Yorkshire chief constable Sir Norman Bettison before the 2012 Hillsborough panel report was published.
Mr Crompton has been accused of branding Hillsborough campaigners liars.
Sir Norman denies accusations that in 1989 he tried to ‘concoct’ a version of events which blamed fans. Maria Eagle, MP for Liverpool Garston, said it suggested he ‘could still have been trying to influence the South Yorkshire Police handling of Hillsborough’.
‘Bile and hatred towards officers’