WEST Yorkshire’s top cop faced fresh allegations about the Hillsborough disaster as the largest-ever probe into police corruption got under way.
Sir Norman Bettison will be investigated for his role in an alleged cover-up in the wake of the 1989 disaster which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) revealed yesterday that the chief constable is also accused of trying to influence West Yorkshire Police Authority’s decision-making process last month.
Authority vice chairman Clr Les Carter said: “The police authority’s Special Committee decided to voluntarily refer a conduct matter concerning the chief constable to the IPCC for an independent investigation.
“We do not think it is appropriate to elaborate further as we don’t want to prejudice the investigation in any way.”
The Special Committee is chaired by Holmfirth man Richard Baldwin, an independent member of the police authority.
The IPCC also criticised Sir Norman yesterday for issuing a statement last month in which he partially blamed Liverpool fans for the disaster.
Earlier this month the chief constable announced he would retire in March to allow the commission to investigate his conduct.
He denies any wrongdoing in relation to Hillsborough.
Sir Norman, who was then a chief inspector in South Yorkshire Police, attended the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest as a spectator.
But he put himself on duty when he realised a tragedy was unfolding and helped with the rescue effort.
Sir Norman was then involved in South Yorkshire Police’s investigation into the disaster.
Last month the Hillsborough Independent Panel revealed 164 police statements had been altered – 116 of them to remove or change negative comments about the policing of the game.
The panel also found that police and emergency services had made “strenuous attempts” to deflect the blame for the disaster on to fans.
IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass announced a major investigation into the Hillsborough disaster yesterday.
“The panel’s report revealed extremely serious and troubling issues for the police,” she said.
“We have learned details of the run-up to the disaster including the unheeded warnings from previous incidents, the disaster itself and its aftermath, including what appear to be attempts to distort the truth.”
Mrs Glass said the IPCC would probe:
The amendments to statements.
The allegations that misleading information was passed to the media, MPs, Parliament and inquiries in an apparent attempt to deflect blame from the police on to the fans.
The actions of police officers after the disaster, including the questioning of next of kin about alcohol consumption, the checking of blood alcohol levels and the undertaking of Police National Computer checks on the dead and injured.
It is not yet clear how many officers will be investigated, how long the probe will take or whether anyone will be charged with a criminal offence.
Clr Andrew Marchington, who served on the police authority until May, believes it will be difficult to establish the truth about Hillsborough.
The Golcar Lib Dem told the Examiner: “It’s probably going to be very difficult to get to the bottom of this after so long.
“If mistakes were made in policing then the best thing for everybody would have been for that to be looked at as soon as possible after the event.
“The families shouldn’t have had to go through that.”
Clr Marchington added: “Norman Bettison has been a very good chief constable who has protected and promoted neighbourhood policing.”
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Sir Norman Bettison has consistently made the point since the 15th of September, three days after the report was published, that these were matters that needed to be investigated formally and fairly by the IPCC.
“At the time he welcomed the Police Authority’s decision to refer this matter. He is on record as saying he is keen to co-operate with the IPCC enquiry, but now that has been launched he has nothing further to add.”
What the report said about the chief constable
YESTERDAY the IPCC reported that:
Sir Norman will be investigated for his role in the Wain Group which was set up by Chief Supt Terry Wain five days after the tragedy. The group of officers allegedly built a “suitable case” which would pin the blame for the disaster on the fans.
He compiled a video from 65 hours of footage of the disaster and showed it to a group of MPs in Parliament. The IPCC will investigate whether Sir Norman and other officers deliberately misled politicians about fans’ behaviour on the day.
On Wednesday the commission received a further referral from West Yorkshire Police Authority, alleging Sir Norman had attempted to influence the authority’s decision-making process last month. The commission will investigate this claim.
Following the panel’s report last month Sir Norman put out a statement claiming Liverpool fans had made the police’s job more difficult on the day by their behaviour at the turnstiles. He withdrew the comment the following day.
The commission found that Sir Norman’s statement was “insensitive and inappropriate” and that it “flew in the face of the report’s definitive findings.”
The IPCC also criticised Sir Norman for making a statement which attempted “to exonerate himself immediately after publication of the report.” The commission concluded the police authority could decide how to deal with this complaint.
