Police Chief Suspended Over Hillsborough

Sky News
The chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, David Crompton, has been suspended over his response to the Hillsborough tragedy.

Dr Alan Billings, the area's police and crime commissioner, said it was the only course open to him given the "erosion of public trust and confidence". He said: "I have been left with no choice but to suspend David as chief constable of South Yorkshire Police.

"I reached this decision with a heavy heart after discussions with David."My decision is based on the erosion of public trust and confidence referenced in statements and comments in the House of Commons this lunchtime, along with public calls for the chief constable's resignation.

"It is with immediate effect."The move comes after the Hillsborough inquest jury found that 96 Liverpool fans had been unlawfully killed.

It said blunders by South Yorkshire's police and ambulance services "caused or contributed to" the deaths as a result of the disaster at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.

The jury also concluded that Liverpool fans were not to blame for what happened.:: Hillsborough: 14 Decisions Reached By Jury After the inquests, Mr Crompton admitted the force got the policing of the match "catastrophically wrong" and "unequivocally" accepted the jury's conclusions.

His suspension has been welcomed by Sheila Coleman, of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, although she said he should have stepped aside voluntarily.She told Sky News: "It would have been better if he had resigned instead of being suspended."

A law firm which represents Hillsborough families, Broudie Jackson Canter, said it hoped and expected Mr Crompton "will be subject to the rigorous and impartial scrutiny which has so long been denied to the families".

Labour's shadow home secretary, Andy Burnham, is among those who had called on Mr Crompton to stand down.Speaking in the Commons, he also called for all those responsible to be held to account for the 96 deaths and a "27-year cover-up".

Home Secretary Theresa May told MPs the families of the Hillsborough victims will continue to receive legal aid as they pursue further action over the tragedy, saying it was"not the end of the process" .

Two investigations into the tragedy are under way, one a criminal probe into the deaths called Operation Resolve. The other is being carried out by the Police Complaints Commission.

A decision on whether to bring prosecutions will be taken once investigators have handed in their reports, in three to six months' time. A remembrance vigil in honour of the Hillsborough victims was held in Liverpool on Wednesday evening.