Police 'Frustrated' By Hillsborough Reporting

The former secretary of the South Yorkshire Police Federation has denied being the "mouthpiece" through which senior police officers were able to "spread gossip" blaming fans for the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

The inquest into the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters heard that Paul Middup had described the "colossal crowd" of fans who entered the Lepping Lane end of the stadium as a "mob" during a television interview.

Mr Middup told the inquest that in the aftermath of the disaster at Sheffield Wednesday’s ground his police officer members "felt at risk, felt frustrated as a result of criticism directed at them".

He said: "I think what the Federation were trying to do was put some balance into it because the Press were all against us, or appeared to be.

"And of course that turned a lot of the public against us and a lot of the people we represented were very, very severely affected by the thing and felt that they were being forgotten."

Mr Middup was asked by Mark George QC about a chief constable's briefing held the morning after the semi-final.

Mr George said: "This is the start, amongst the senior officer as any event, of what becomes the South Yorkshire mantra, isn't it?"

Mr Middup said he could not remember being at the meeting.

Continuing, Mr George said: "It is not a case, Mr Middup, of you wanting to put clear water between you and the senior officers of the South Yorkshire Police?"

Mr Middup denied that.

Mr George referred to an interview with Yorkshire Television after the disaster. "That's the real unvarnished you, isn't it?" said Mr George.

"Back in 1989 when, as you seem to think, you had greater freedom of speech, you were quite happy to describe people who were doing nothing more than trying to get into a football match - that in actual fact they'd paid to get into - as a mob?"

Mr Middup said he was putting forward the view of his members.

The court was shown the minutes from a meeting on 19 April attended by the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, Peter Wright.

The minutes said: "Mr Wright admitted he would have liked to have been able to make the comments which Mr Middup had made."

Mr George said: "You are the chief constable's mouthpiece, Mr Middup, aren't you?"

"No I am most certainly not, and I resent that remark," replied Mr Middup.

Questioning on behalf of 75 Hillsborough families, Michael Mansfield QC said: "Starting on this day you were beginning to understand the predicament that South Yorkshire Police as a whole faced, didn't you?"

Mr Middup replied: "No, nothing to do with that. I knew that South Yorkshire Police would have to do reports and they would have to be prepared, but they were doing that.

"I did not collude with the force at all. Whatever I did, I did in good faith and I did it honestly."

Mr Mansfield suggested Mr Middup was suffering a "memory lapse".

The hearing, in Warrington, Cheshire, continues.