The match commander has been charged with 95 counts of manslaughter (Picture: Getty)

Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield, former chief constable Sir Norman Bettison and four other individuals have been charged with offences relating to the Hillsborough disaster, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

Sue Hemming, head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division, said Duckenfield has been charged with the manslaughter by gross negligence of 95 of the 96 Liverpool FC fans who died at the FA Cup semi-final in 1989 and Bettison is accused of four counts of misconduct in public office.

Former South Yorkshire Police officers Donald Denton and Alan Foster, as well as force solicitor Peter Metcalf, are charged with doing acts with intent to pervert the course of justice, and former Sheffield Wednesday secretary Graham Mackrell is charged with three offences relating to health and safety and safety at sports grounds.



Families of the 96 men, women and children killed at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final gathered in Warrington to be informed of the decisions by Ms Hemming.


To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Match commander David Duckenfield faces 95 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence (Picture: Getty)

Ms Hemming said a further file from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) on the conduct of West Midlands Police still needs ‘additional investigative work’.

She added: ‘Additionally, just this week, the IPCC has referred two further suspects which are unconnected to the matters sent to us in January; these subjects are subject to ongoing consideration by the CPS. We will announce our decisions in due course.

New NHS tracing app forces people to self-isolate as users unable to log results

‘The suspects referred to the CPS included individuals and organisations.

‘Following these thorough investigations and our careful review of the evidence in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, I have decided there is sufficient evidence to charge six individuals with criminal offences.’

All the defendants, except Duckenfield, will appear at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on August 8.

Duckenfield was not at home at his bungalow in Ferndown, Dorset, when the charges were announced.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Barry Devonside, whose son Christopher, 18, was killed in the disaster, pumped his fist as he emerged from the meeting with the lawyers and other relatives of the 96.

He said: ‘Everybody applauded when it was announced that the most senior police officer on that particular day will have charges presented to him.’

A spokesman for Sheffield Wednesday said the club had no comment to make.

What they are charged with Former South Yorkshire Police chief superintendent David Duckenfield, who was the match commander on the day of the disaster, is charged with the manslaughter by gross negligence of 95 men, women and children. The CPS said it is alleged that Duckenfield’s failures to discharge his personal responsibility were ‘extraordinarily bad and contributed substantially to the deaths of each of those 96 people who so tragically and unnecessarily lost their lives’. It said it was unable to charge him with the manslaughter of Tony Bland – the 96th casualty – because he died almost four years later. The law as it applied then meant that no-one could be guilty of murder if the death occurred more than a year and a day later than the date when the injuries were caused. But it added that it will be applying to the High Court to allow the case to proceed. Former Merseyside and West Yorkshire chief constable Sir Norman Bettison is charged with four offences of misconduct in public office. The CPS said these relate to telling alleged lies about his involvement in the aftermath of Hillsborough and the culpability of fans. Given his role as a senior police officer, prosecutors will ask the jury to find that this was misconduct of such a degree as to amount to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder, the CPS said. Former South Yorkshire Police chief superintendent Donald Denton is charged with doing acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice relating to material changes made to witness statements. It is alleged that Denton oversaw the process of amending the statements and, in doing so, he did acts that had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice, the CPS said. Former South Yorkshire Police detective chief inspector Alan Foster is also charged with doing acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice relating to material changes made to witness statements. The CPS said Foster was central to the process of changing the statements and took action to do so. Graham Mackrell, who was Sheffield Wednesday’s company secretary and safety officer at the time, is charged with two offences of contravening a term of condition of a safety certificate contrary to the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975. He is also charged with one offence of failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of other persons who may have been affected by his acts or omissions at work under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The CPS said these offences relate to alleged failures to carry out his duties as required. Peter Metcalf, who was the solicitor acting for South Yorkshire Police during the Taylor Inquiry and the first inquests, is charged with doing acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice relating to material changes made to witness statements. The CPS said Metcalf was instructed by Municipal Mutual Insurance to represent the interests of the police force at the Taylor Inquiry and in any civil litigation that might result from the Hillsborough disaster. He reviewed the accounts provided by the officers and made suggestions for alterations, deletions and amendments, which prosecutors allege were directly relevant to an official letter issued by the Taylor Inquiry and for which there appears to be no justification.

(Picture: PA) The full list of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster (top row left to right) Adam Edward Spearritt, Alan Johnston, Alan McGlone, Andrew Mark Brookes, Anthony Bland, Anthony Peter Kelly, Arthur Horrocks, Barry Glover, Barry Sidney Bennett, Brian Christopher Mathews, Carl William Rimmer, Carl Brown, (second row left to right) Carl Darren Hewitt, Carl David Lewis, Christine Anne Jones, Christopher James Traynor, Christopher Barry Devonside, Christopher Edwards, Colin Wafer, Colin Andrew Hugh William Sefton, Colin Mark Ashcroft, David William Birtle, David George Rimmer, David Hawley, (third row left to right) David John Benson, David Leonard Thomas, David William Mather, Derrick George Godwin, Eric Hankin, Eric George Hughes, Francis Joseph McAllister, Gary Christopher Church, Gary Collins, Gary Harrison, Gary Philip Jones, Gerard Bernard Patrick Baron, (fourth row left to right) Gordon Rodney Horn, Graham John Roberts, Graham John Wright, Henry Charles Rogers, Henry Thomas Burke, Ian David Whelan, Ian Thomas Glover, Inger Shah, James Gary Aspinall, James Philip Delaney, James Robert Hennessy, John Alfred Anderson, (fifth row left to right) John McBrien, Jonathon Owens, Jon-Paul Gilhooley, Joseph Clark, Joseph Daniel McCarthy, Keith McGrath, Kester Roger Marcus Ball, Kevin Daniel Williams, Kevin Tyrrell, Lee Nicol, Marian Hazel McCabe, Martin Kevin Traynor, (sixth row left to right) Martin Kenneth Wild, Michael David Kelly, Nicholas Peter Joynes, Nicholas Michael Hewitt, Patrick John Thompson, Paula Ann Smith, Paul Anthony Hewitson, Paul David Brady, Paul Brian Murray, Paul Clark, Paul William Carlile, Peter Andrew Harrison, (seventh row left to right) Peter Andrew Burkett, Peter Francis Tootle, Peter McDonnell, Peter Reuben Thompson, Philip Hammond, Philip John Steele, Raymond Thomas Chapman, Richard Jones, Roy Harry Hamilton, Sarah Louise Hicks, Simon Bell, Stephen Paul Copoc, (bottom row left to right) Stephen Francis Harrison, Stephen Francis O’Neill, Steven Joseph Robinson, David Steven Brown, Stuart Paul William Thompson, Thomas Anthony Howard, Thomas Howard , Thomas Steven Fox, Tracey Elizabeth Cox, Victoria Jane Hicks, Vincent Michael Fitzsimmons and William Roy Pemberton (Picture: PA)

Operation Resolve, which investigated the causes of the disaster, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) passed files of evidence relating to 23 suspects, including individuals and organisations, to the CPS earlier this year.

Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said ahead of the announcement: ‘It is going to be a day of mixed emotions for the families and we have had so many of them.

‘Whatever happens, I still think it will be a long road, but the families are determined to never give up.

‘All we want is accountability, nothing more and nothing less.’

Last year, new inquests found the 96 were unlawfully killed in the disaster, which happened at the match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest.

The jury also identified errors in the police planning and response, the actions of commanding officers, the safety certification of the ground, the management of the stadium by Sheffield Wednesday FC and the response by the ambulance service.



It also found there were dangerous features in the stadium design and structural engineers Eastwood and Partners could have done more.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said it would be a ‘monumental day in the fight for justice’.

He said: ‘It is a day that many thought would never come and a day that, on more than one occasion, seemed impossible.

‘The uncompromising determination and fight from the families and campaigners over the last 28 years has been an example to the rest of the country that sometimes, the impossible is achievable.’

He said there was still ‘a way to go’ before justice was achieved.

He said: ‘We have to allow that process to happen and trust that those responsible will be held accountable for their actions.’