THE police watchdog has been given the names of more than 1,400 officers as it investigates South Yorkshire Police’s role in the Hillsborough tragedy, MPs have been told.
Home affairs select committee chairman Keith Vaz said the Independent Police Complaints Commission received the 1,444 names from the South Yorkshire Chief Constable. “This is a huge number of names – more than we expected,” he said.
Ninety-six Liverpool FC fans died following the crush at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium in April 1989. The IPCC inquiry will focus on “potential criminality and police misconduct in respect of police officers, both serving and retired”, Home Secretary Theresa May said.
She was opening a Commons debate on the Hillsborough Independent Panel’s report, which last month revealed some fans could have survived if emergency services had responded sooner, and blamed police for an official cover-up designed to smear innocent supporters.
Attorney General Dominic Grieve last week asked the High Court to consider ordering fresh inquests into the 96 deaths.
