Hillsborough: Commander Confronted By Families

The match commander on the day of the Hillsborough disaster has been confronted by relatives of the victims as he left the inquests into the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans.

David Duckenfield has now finished giving evidence to the hearing in Warrington.

Among those waiting to speak to him was Barry Devonside whose son Christopher died in the crush.

"I just wanted to face him, from one man to another. I just wanted to face him," Mr Devonside told reporters outside the court.

"I asked him can you tell me why you've kept myself, my wife and my daughter and all the other families waiting for 26 years. He apologised to me and said 'I can't say any more than that'."

Giving evidence for a seventh day to the inquests into the deaths of the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the tragedy, Mr Duckenfield accepted "very serious professional failings" but denied telling other officers to lie about what happened.

When he was asked by his own barrister John Beggs QC: "If there was a conspiracy to interfere with a fair collection of the evidence did you have any part in that?" Mr Duckenfield replied: "None at all, sir".

Mr Beggs then asked: "Did you tell other officers how they should record their evidence in relation to this tragedy?"

Mr Duckenfield replied: "No, sir."

During seven days of evidence, former chief superintendent Mr Duckenfield admitted lying in the aftermath of the disaster.

He said he did not reveal that he had given the command for an exit gate to be opened allowing around 2,000 fans to surge into the already crowded stadium shortly before kick off.

He also admitted that his failure to close a tunnel through which the fans entered packed pens where the fatal crush happened "was the direct cause of the deaths of 96 people".

He said that his "preoccupation" ahead of the match was segregating fans to avoid public disorder and fighting.

Even as fans began to emerge on to the pitch as they tried to escape the crush at the front of the pens, Mr Duckenfield admitted that from his position in the police control box his initial reaction was that it was a pitch invasion.

He told the inquest jury it was not until 3.08pm, when he heard a radio message calling for a "fleet of ambulances", that it became obvious it was not primarily a public order matter.

Mr Duckenfield was asked if he was able to sleep the night of the disaster. "I don't think so, sir," he replied.

The inquests are due to continue until next year.