Hillsborough police chief keeps £1m pension and escapes misconduct charges because he retired last year



Former head of West Yorkshire Police 'would have faced dismissal'



Sir Norman questioned the 'fairness' of the IPCC's process

Left police force in October last year so cannot face disciplinary action

Victim's mother calls for him to be stripped of knighthood



A former chief constable who was criticised for his actions during the Hillsborough disaster will keep his estimated £1m pension.



Sir Norman Bettison also faced calls to be stripped of his knighthood yesterday after he was heavily criticised over his reaction to a watchdog report on the Hillsborough disaster.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said he would have had a case to answer for gross misconduct had he still been a serving officer.

But, because he resigned from his £225,000 a year job as head of West Yorkshire Police last October, it is powerless to take disciplinary action against him.

Margaret Aspinall, of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said Sir Norman should be stripped of his knighthood, police pension and other accolades

Mrs Aspinall's son, James, was among the 96 football fans killed in the crush at Hillsborough

Victims’ families described Sir Norman, 57, who denies any wrongdoing, as an ‘absolute disgrace’ and renewed their calls for him to lose his knighthood and lucrative police pension.

The row centres on Sir Norman’s alleged dealings with his police authority following the publication of a damning report on Hillsborough last year.

The IPCC said the chief constable attempted to influence public perception as the West Yorkshire Police Authority was deciding whether to refer him to the watchdog over the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report.

It said: ‘While it was evident Sir Norman made no attempt to prevent the referral happening, the IPCC investigation concluded that he attempted to manipulate the public perception of the referral process for his own self-interest.’

The watchdog added it had concluded Sir Norman ‘had a case to answer for discreditable conduct and abuse of authority, breaches which, if proven in a disciplinary hearing, would amount to gross misconduct as they would justify dismissal.



However, as Sir Norman left the police service in October 2012 he cannot face a disciplinary hearing in which the evidence could be tested. Instead, the IPCC is publishing its findings for the public to judge’.

Complaints were sent to the IPCC about his involvement in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster



Sir Norman was a chief inspector with South Yorkshire Police at the time of the disaster and was at the match as a spectator on the day IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass said the aftermath of Hillsborough had become synonymous with police attempts to cover up the truth, manipulate messages and defect blame Margaret Aspinall, of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said Sir Norman should be punished over his conduct. She said: ‘The man is an absolute disgrace. In the IPCC’s own words, this was gross misconduct and, in my mind, that is a very serious offence and the fact that he resigned should not mean that this report is the end of it. We want to see him stripped of his honours – his knighthood and his Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University. I believe he resigned to protect his pension.’ Mrs Aspinall, who lost her 18-year-old son, James, in the disaster, said the IPCC report was ‘another step on the road to justice’ for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough tragedy. Sheila Coleman, of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, added: ‘It is frustrating to know that serious allegations can be levelled at this man yet no action can be taken.’ Sir Norman is the latest in a string of chief constables to leave their jobs under a cloud yet keep their full pension.

He was a chief inspector with South Yorkshire Police at the time of the disaster in 1989.

He attended the FA Cup semi-final involving Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough ground as a spectator.

Sir Norman (pictured in 2008) today questioned the 'fairness' of the IPCC report After the tragedy, he was involved in the resulting force investigation. His involvement in that inquiry has provoked waves of allegations and criticism from the families of those who died and has dogged his career, which included a stint as the chief constable of Merseyside. He quit as West Yorkshire chief in October, saying the controversy had become a ‘distraction to policing’.

He is said to be entitled to an annual pension of more than £83,000.

Pictured during the 25th anniversary memorials, fans hold up placards that spell out 'The Truth' during a match between Liverpool and Manchester United







