Sir Norman Bettison, the most senior serving policeman involved in the Hillsborough disaster, has apologised for a statement he released earlier this week which "besmirched" Liverpool fans.
The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police suggested that Reds supporters were partly to blame for the 1989 tragedy which saw 96 people crushed to death, despite an independent panel establishing that was not the case.
However, Bettison has now retracted that claim and issued an apologetic statement to all those he may have offended with his remarks.
He said: "Let me speak very clearly. The fans of Liverpool Football Club were in no way to blame for the disaster that unfolded at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989.
"I formed this clear view on hearing all the evidence that was presented at the Taylor inquiry, having sat through every day from its beginning, just four weeks after the tragedy, through to its conclusion.
"The evidence was overwhelming. The police failed to control the situation, which ultimately led to the tragic deaths of 96 entirely innocent people. I can be no plainer than that and I am sorry if my earlier statement, intended to convey the same message, has caused any further upset.
"My role was never to besmirch the fans. I did not do that. I am deeply sorry that impression and slight has lingered for 23 years."
Campaigners have called for Bettison to resign from his post following the release of the Hillsborough report earlier this week.
Joe Fish
