by lakes10 » Wed Sep 26, 2012 2:13 pm
BBC NEWS
Kelvin McKenzie wants Hillsborough apology from police
Ex-Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie wants South Yorkshire Police to apologise for the "vilification" he received in the wake of the Hillsborough tragedy.
His lawyers have contacted the force asking for an apology over his "personal vilification for decades", the BBC's Ross Hawkins reported.
Mr MacKenzie printed a front page story about Liverpool fans, shortly after the 1989 disaster, headlined "The Truth".
Ninety-six football fans died as a result of the tragedy in Sheffield.
In an article for the Spectator to be published on Thursday, MacKenzie says: "I hope that after 23 years we can all agree on the truth."
Agency copy
People in Liverpool boycotted his newspaper after the article claimed fans pickpocketed the dead and urinated on police.
The Hillsborough Independent Inquiry report, which was published two weeks ago, said there was no evidence to support the allegations in The Sun article.
It stated: "The documents disclosed to the panel show that the origin of these serious allegations was a local Sheffield press agency informed by several SYP officers, an SYP Police Federation spokesperson and a local MP.
"They also demonstrate how the SYP Police Federation, supported informally by the SYP chief constable, sought to develop and publicise a version of events that focused on several police officers' allegations of drunkenness, ticketlessness and violence among a large number of Liverpool fans."
