This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

Former Sun reporter Harry Arnold has broken his long silence over the paper's controversial coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

The Sun, 19 April 1989

The Sun alleged that drunken Liverpool fans abused victims and police during the tragedy that caused the deaths of 96 people. It resulted in a boycott of The Sun on Merseyside that continues to this day.

Arnold, who wrote the story, has explained to a BBC programme how it came about, saying he was "aghast" when he saw that it would be headlined "The Truth".

He said his story had been written in a "fair and balanced way" because he understood that the claims - which were later shown to be totally unfounded - were no more than "allegations".

He said it was the editor, Kelvin MacKenzie, who wrote the headline. "I was about to leave the newsroom when I saw him drawing up the front page," said Arnold.

"When I saw the headline, 'The Truth,' I was aghast, because that wasn't what I'd written. I'd never used the words the truth... I still believe [I wrote it] in a balanced and fair way.

"So I said to Kelvin MacKenzie, 'You can't say that'. And he said 'Why not?' and I said, 'because we don't know that it's the truth. This is a version of 'the truth'."

Arnold, who left The Sun in 1990 to join the Daily Mirror, continued: "He brushed it aside and said, 'Oh don't worry. I'm going to make it clear that this is what some people are saying'.

"And I walked away thinking, well I'm not happy with the situation. But the fact is reporters don't argue with an editor. And, in particular, you don't argue with an editor like Kelvin MacKenzie."

The programme, Hillsborough: searching for the truth, also contains an interview with a police officer who was on duty at Hillsborough that day when Liverpool were playing an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

He said the fans did not behave as described by The Sun, explaining: "I didn't see any Liverpool fans urinating on a police officer, or any police officers, and I didn't see any Liverpool fans steal money from dead people or pick money up that had fallen out of people's pockets. I didn't see that. And it probably didn't happen."

Senior officers responsible for policing the game, David Duckenfield and Bernard Murray, faced disciplinary proceedings and both left the force.

Murray was cleared on two counts of manslaughter and the jury could not reach a verdict on Duckenfield at a private prosecution at Leeds crown court in July 2000.

Government and police documents relating to the Hillsborough disaster are to be released at Liverpool's Anglican cathedral on 12 September.

They are being made public along with a report by the Hillsborough Independent Panel, which has examined hundreds of thousands of papers. It was chaired by the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones.

Hillsborough: searching for the truth, is to be broadcast on BBC1 in Yorkshire and the North West on Sunday (9 September) at 10.25pm.

Source: BBC