Former policeman defends claims about fans at Hillsborough

A former police officer has denied he vastly exaggerated the behaviour of Liverpool fans after a police chief told him “drunken, ticketless” supporters were to blame for the Hillsborough disaster.

Five days after the 1989 tragedy an assistant chief constable spoke to officers at a South Yorkshire Police station and told them fans had caused the crush outside the ground which led to an exit gate being opened and they then rushed in to cause the fatal crush on the terraces, an inquest jury heard.