NINETY-SIX fans died at Hillsborough in April 1989 because South Yorkshire Police fell down on the job of policing the event, and there were failures within the ambulance service as well.

I believe that the police told staff at Hillsborough which gates to open for incoming fans, and they certainly got that wrong. In a disgraceful act of face-saving, South Yorkshire Police blamed the fans for the disaster.

What is even more scandalous but maybe not surprising, is that then Conservative MP Sir Irvine Patnick, assisted the police’s coverup of their failings. It appears that Sir Irvine regards ordinary people with contempt.

Why do we get this conduct from leading Tory politicians?

Still, we don’t need to vote Conservative at the next general election.

Jeremy Whiting, Great Lumley.