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| Hillsborough report: senior police officer says he has 'nothing to hide' | Hillsborough report: senior police officer says he has 'nothing to hide' |
| (21 days later) | |
| A senior police officer who was involved in the Hillsborough operation has rejected calls from victims' families to resign, saying he has nothing to hide. | A senior police officer who was involved in the Hillsborough operation has rejected calls from victims' families to resign, saying he has nothing to hide. |
| Sir Norman Bettison, the chief constable of West Yorkshire police, released a detailed statement outlining his belief that he had done nothing wrong. Bettison was a chief inspector and later a superintendent in South Yorkshire police, and a member of the force's internal inquiry team following the disaster. | Sir Norman Bettison, the chief constable of West Yorkshire police, released a detailed statement outlining his belief that he had done nothing wrong. Bettison was a chief inspector and later a superintendent in South Yorkshire police, and a member of the force's internal inquiry team following the disaster. |
| The unit was condemned by the families of Hillsborough victims, and by the Labour MP Maria Eagle in parliament, as a black propaganda unit designed to smear the fans and shift blame from the police on to the victims. | The unit was condemned by the families of Hillsborough victims, and by the Labour MP Maria Eagle in parliament, as a black propaganda unit designed to smear the fans and shift blame from the police on to the victims. |
| Trevor Hicks, whose two daughters died at Hillsborough, said Bettison should "scurry up a drainpipe" and resign in the aftermath of the publication of the Hillsborough report on Wednesday. | Trevor Hicks, whose two daughters died at Hillsborough, said Bettison should "scurry up a drainpipe" and resign in the aftermath of the publication of the Hillsborough report on Wednesday. |
| The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, called for the Home Office to launch an investigation into the cover-up by South Yorkshire police and to examine whether criminal charges should be brought. | The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, called for the Home Office to launch an investigation into the cover-up by South Yorkshire police and to examine whether criminal charges should be brought. |
| "The job of the police is to protect the public and to pursue justice," she said. "Instead at Hillsborough, people who should have been protected were betrayed and justice was denied. The report reveals an appalling systemic cover-up, including the alteration of over 100 statements and a campaign of misinformation. | "The job of the police is to protect the public and to pursue justice," she said. "Instead at Hillsborough, people who should have been protected were betrayed and justice was denied. The report reveals an appalling systemic cover-up, including the alteration of over 100 statements and a campaign of misinformation. |
| "People need to have confidence in the police and need to be certain that they will pursue the truth in all circumstances. Even though these events took place 23 years ago, it is important to public confidence in the integrity of police forces that these issues are taken extremely seriously and investigated. | "People need to have confidence in the police and need to be certain that they will pursue the truth in all circumstances. Even though these events took place 23 years ago, it is important to public confidence in the integrity of police forces that these issues are taken extremely seriously and investigated. |
| "The chief constable of South Yorkshire police has rightly said that if people have broken the law then they should be prosecuted and his force would co-operate with any new inquiry." | "The chief constable of South Yorkshire police has rightly said that if people have broken the law then they should be prosecuted and his force would co-operate with any new inquiry." |
| The former home secretary Jack Straw indicated on Radio 4's Today programme that Bettison should examine his position, but said any decision to go was down to the chief constable and his police authority. | The former home secretary Jack Straw indicated on Radio 4's Today programme that Bettison should examine his position, but said any decision to go was down to the chief constable and his police authority. |
| Bettison – one of the UK's most senior officers – said in a statement that he welcomed the 395-page report for endorsing his position. He made no apologies for his role in the aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy. | Bettison – one of the UK's most senior officers – said in a statement that he welcomed the 395-page report for endorsing his position. He made no apologies for his role in the aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy. |
| Bettison said he had always believed what the Taylor report found, that "the disaster was caused, mainly, through a lack of police control". | Bettison said he had always believed what the Taylor report found, that "the disaster was caused, mainly, through a lack of police control". |
| He went on: "Fans' behaviour, to the extent that it was relevant at all, made the job of the police, in the crush outside Leppings Lane turnstiles, harder than it needed to be. But it didn't cause the disaster any more than the sunny day that encouraged people to linger outside the stadium as kick-off approached. | He went on: "Fans' behaviour, to the extent that it was relevant at all, made the job of the police, in the crush outside Leppings Lane turnstiles, harder than it needed to be. But it didn't cause the disaster any more than the sunny day that encouraged people to linger outside the stadium as kick-off approached. |
| "I held those views then, I hold them now. I have never, since hearing the Taylor evidence unfold, offered any other interpretation in public or private. | "I held those views then, I hold them now. I have never, since hearing the Taylor evidence unfold, offered any other interpretation in public or private. |
| "In the absence of all the facts I was called upon to resign 14 years ago when I became chief constable of Merseyside," he said. | "In the absence of all the facts I was called upon to resign 14 years ago when I became chief constable of Merseyside," he said. |
| "I really welcome disclosure of all the facts that can be known about the Hillsborough tragedy because I have absolutely nothing to hide … Whilst not wishing to become a conducting rod for the genuine and justified hurt and anguish, I would invite anyone to do the same as me and read the document and the papers online." | "I really welcome disclosure of all the facts that can be known about the Hillsborough tragedy because I have absolutely nothing to hide … Whilst not wishing to become a conducting rod for the genuine and justified hurt and anguish, I would invite anyone to do the same as me and read the document and the papers online." |
| A former chief constable of South Yorkshire, Richard Wells, who took over in the aftermath of the disaster, said prosecutions of police officers were essential after the revelations about the scale of the cover-up in the force, which at the time was "secretive, defensive and authoritarian". | A former chief constable of South Yorkshire, Richard Wells, who took over in the aftermath of the disaster, said prosecutions of police officers were essential after the revelations about the scale of the cover-up in the force, which at the time was "secretive, defensive and authoritarian". |
| Bettison denied that his role in an internal inquiry team from South Yorkshire police was to foment black propaganda and transfer blame for the tragedy on to the fans. Instead, he said, the review team was charged with "piecing together what had taken place". | Bettison denied that his role in an internal inquiry team from South Yorkshire police was to foment black propaganda and transfer blame for the tragedy on to the fans. Instead, he said, the review team was charged with "piecing together what had taken place". |
| He made clear he had not been part of a unit which was responsible for doctoring police statements. | He made clear he had not been part of a unit which was responsible for doctoring police statements. |
| "In 1989, I was a chief inspector in a non-operational role at headquarters. Four days after the disaster (and after all the vile newspaper coverage had been written) I was one of several officers pulled together by the then deputy chief constable, Peter Hays, to support him in piecing together what had taken place at the event. | "In 1989, I was a chief inspector in a non-operational role at headquarters. Four days after the disaster (and after all the vile newspaper coverage had been written) I was one of several officers pulled together by the then deputy chief constable, Peter Hays, to support him in piecing together what had taken place at the event. |
| "By that time, the chief constable, Peter Wright, had handed over the formal investigation of the tragedy to an independent police force, West Midlands police. It was West Midlands police that presented evidence before the Taylor inquiry. The South Yorkshire deputy chief constable's team, under the leadership of Chief Superintendent Wain, was a parallel activity to inform chief officers of facts rather than rely on the speculation rampant at that time. | "By that time, the chief constable, Peter Wright, had handed over the formal investigation of the tragedy to an independent police force, West Midlands police. It was West Midlands police that presented evidence before the Taylor inquiry. The South Yorkshire deputy chief constable's team, under the leadership of Chief Superintendent Wain, was a parallel activity to inform chief officers of facts rather than rely on the speculation rampant at that time. |
| "Another team was later created … to work with the solicitors who were representing South Yorkshire police at the Taylor inquiry, to vet statements from South Yorkshire police officers that were intended to be presented to the inquiry … I never altered a statement nor asked for one to be altered. Two South Yorkshire police teams have been conflated in the minds of some commentators." | "Another team was later created … to work with the solicitors who were representing South Yorkshire police at the Taylor inquiry, to vet statements from South Yorkshire police officers that were intended to be presented to the inquiry … I never altered a statement nor asked for one to be altered. Two South Yorkshire police teams have been conflated in the minds of some commentators." |
| Bettison said he sat through every day of the Taylor inquiry, published in August 1989, and briefed the South Yorkshire chief constable and deputy on the proceedings. "These briefings acknowledged and accepted the responsibility of the force in the disaster. The evidence was overwhelming," he said. | Bettison said he sat through every day of the Taylor inquiry, published in August 1989, and briefed the South Yorkshire chief constable and deputy on the proceedings. "These briefings acknowledged and accepted the responsibility of the force in the disaster. The evidence was overwhelming," he said. |
| "Shortly after the conclusion of the Taylor inquiry, I was posted to other duties. I had nothing further to do with the subsequent coroners' inquests and proceedings, other than occasional advice because of my knowledge of the evidence presented to the Taylor inquiry." | "Shortly after the conclusion of the Taylor inquiry, I was posted to other duties. I had nothing further to do with the subsequent coroners' inquests and proceedings, other than occasional advice because of my knowledge of the evidence presented to the Taylor inquiry." |
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