Hillsborough: Relatives say Sir Norman Bettison should lose pension

THE resignation of under-fire West Yorkshire Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison has been welcomed by relatives of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster.

Sir Norman resigned yesterday after weeks of criticism since the Hillsborough Independent Panel report revealed a huge police cover-up in the wake of the tragedy, which left 96 Liverpool fans dead.

Earlier this week, the pressure on the long-serving officer intensified with claims that he bragged about being asked to “concoct” an account of what happened when he was investigating the 1989 disaster as a South Yorkshire Police chief

inspector.

Sir Norman has always denied any involvement in a cover-up or any wrong-doing. He said he resigned yesterday because the controversy had become a “distraction to policing in West Yorkshire”.

Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Families Support Group (HFSG), welcomed the announcement but said Sir Norman’s pension should be frozen while the investigation takes place into the police cover-up.

She said: “I’m absolutely delighted he’s gone but as far as I am concerned he should have been sacked. I would now like to know what payments and pension he’s going to get.”

Sir Norman’s resignation was announced by the vice-chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Authority, Les Carter, at a hastily

arranged press conference in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, ahead of a meeting which was scheduled to discuss the chief’s position.

In a statement issued through the authority, Sir Norman said he had never blamed the fans for the tragedy.

“First, and foremost, the Hillsborough tragedy 23 years ago left 96 families bereaved and countless others injured and affected by it,” he said.