Survivors and families of the Hillsborough disaster have initiated a public campaign urging for former Merseyside Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison to be stripped of his knighthood and policing medal.
Report reveals grounds for gross misconduct charges
This forceful call for accountability follows the publication of a devastating report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The £150 million investigation concluded that 12 police officers would have faced gross misconduct proceedings for their actions surrounding the 1989 tragedy, which claimed 97 lives.
The IOPC stated that the case against Bettison, who was a chief inspector in South Yorkshire at the time of the disaster, would have focused on allegations he was "deliberately dishonest" about his involvement when applying for the top job at Merseyside Police in 1998. The report also accused him of issuing misleading statements to the press in the aftermath.
Decades of campaigning for truth
The tragedy unfolded on 15 April 1989 during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium. A fatal crush occurred in central pens after police, who had opened an exit gate to ease crowding outside, failed to direct fans away from a tunnel leading to those already overcrowded areas.
In the immediate aftermath, a false narrative was propagated by South Yorkshire Police, wrongly blaming Liverpool supporters for arriving late, drunk, and without tickets. After decades of tireless campaigning by bereaved families, these claims have been entirely discredited.
Petition demands removal of honours
The Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance is now spearheading a petition to have Bettison's knighthood and Queen's Policing Medal revoked. Their petition argues that these honours are meant to symbolise integrity and service, and should not be held by someone implicated in such a profound breach of public trust.
"Liars should not have knighthoods," said Margaret Aspinall, who lost her 18-year-old son James at Hillsborough. She questioned what Bettison was honoured for, suggesting it was for promoting his own false narrative to Parliament rather than the truth.
The petition text states: "It was revealed that had he still been serving as a police officer, he would have faced gross misconduct charges. This revelation demands accountability... Bettison's part in the attempt to deflect blame... has inflicted untold damage on the victims’ families and survivors."
It calls on the public to sign to "stand united for truth, accountability, and justice for the 97 lives lost." Sir Norman Bettison has declined to comment on the demands to remove his honours.
