Hillsborough police chief David Duckenfield has told the jury into the inquests of 96 Liverpool fans he was “a new and inexperienced match commander” faced with “unimaginably difficult and fast-moving circumstances”.

Hillsborough police chief David Duckenfield called for police dogs instead of ambulances as fans were crushed to death in the football tragedy, the inquests have heard.

The police chief on the day the Hillsborough disaster occurred “apologised unreservedly” to the families of the 96 victims yesterday after admitting a “terrible lie” and misleading others minutes after the disaster unfolded.

The senior police officer in charge on the day of the Hillsborough disaster in England has arrived at court to give evidence at the new inquests.

A senior officer who was in charge of policing Liverpool fans outside Hillsborough football stadium on the day of the 1989 disaster has said he had "profound regrets" that he did not ask for the match kick-off to be delayed.

The jury at the Hillsborough inquests has been given a minute-by-minute countdown as the tragedy unfolded.

The “very many individual human tragedies” of the Hillsborough disaster have been laid bare in an emotionally-charged opening to the fresh inquests into the deaths of the 96 football fans who died.

British Prime Minister David Cameron’s apology and the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel have been welcomed by campaigners who have now called for the parties responsible for the disaster to be made accountable.