Hillsborough apology from police chiefs 34 years after disaster

The UK's main police board has apologized to the survivors and families of victims of the Hillsborough disaster for their failings 34 years ago.

Ninety-seven Liverpool supporters died in the 1989 stadium crash during an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at the home of Sheffield Wednesday.

In 2012, an initial accidental death inquest verdict was overturned two decades after it was issued following the bereaved families campaign, and a 2016 inquest found victims had been killed unlawfully by reason of grossly negligent manslaughter.

Now, five years after a 2017 report on the disaster was published by former Bishop of Liverpool James Jones, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and the UK's College of Policing have become the first large organisms to respond to the probe.

"Police have failed the people bereaved by the Hillsborough disaster deeply for many years and we are sorry the service got it so wrong," said Chief Constable Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing , in a press release.

"Police failures were the primary cause of the tragedy and have continued to blight the lives of family members ever since.

"When leadership was needed most, the bereaved were often treated insensitively and the response lacked coordination and supervision."

The disaster was initially blamed on fan behavior after those killed were caught in a crush at a lower level compound in Hillsborough.

Martin Hewitt, the chairman of the NPCC, said he was "deeply sorry for the tragic loss of life", adding: "Together, the changes made since the Hillsborough disaster and in response to Reverend James Jones aims to ensure that the terrible police failures committed on the day and after can never happen again."