THE BRITISH Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, is to reopen the inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 Liverpool football fans died, following the discovery by the victims' families of new police video footage of the tragedy.
It is expected Mr Straw will outline his proposals for a new inquiry to the House of Commons on Monday after meeting members of the Hillsborough Family Support Group.
The football fans died from injuries suffered due to overcrowding on the terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's ground during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final. Their families have always claimed the tragedy was caused by police incompetence, and the Crown Prosecution Service is currently considering whether any officer can be charged.
Mr Trevor Hicks, whose teenage daughters, Victoria and Sarah, died in the crush, said the families hoped the new inquiry would examine all the fresh evidence that has recently come to light, including medical evidence which proved some of the victims died later than was originally claimed and police video footage of the terraces which contradicts officers' claims that the camera was not working.
A South Yorkshire police spokesman said the force, which was in charge of policing the football ground on the day, would co-operate with any investigation. "If there is going to be a fresh inquiry we will do everything we can to assist the inquiry," he said.
The original government inquiry into the tragedy, led by Lord Justice Taylor, concluded that South Yorkshire police were principally at fault because officers decided to relieve the crowd pressure outside the ground by opening the gates. Those fans already on the terraces were crushed against the wire fencing. However, the inquest into the tragedy contradicted his report, recording verdicts of accidental death for all the victims.
Ms Maria Eagle, the MP for Liverpool Garston, said the new inquiry should be headed by an independent person who has not been involved in any of the previous investigations.
Meanwhile, in the British political debate on devolution, the Conservative party leader, Mr William Hague, attempted to pressurise the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, to refer claims that a Labour MP had been threatened with expulsion if he campaigned against the government's policy to an independent inquiry.
In a letter Mr Hague pointed out that the account by the Labour backbeneher, Mr Llew Smith, of his treatment contradicted the Prime Minister's insistence that there had been no threats and suggested that "someone must have lied to you".
However, Mr Blair replied that he had investigated the allegations and now considered the matter to be closed.