Man runs 227 miles for Hillsborough Law campaign

Michael Parkin, pictured with his wife Claire, is running from Liverpool to London

A Leeds man is running 227 miles (365 km) from Liverpool to London in support of a campaign to introduce a so-called Hillsborough Law.

Michael Parkin, 52, began the run on Saturday as the 35th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster approaches and two months ahead of the seventh anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire.

The Hillsborough Law, or Public Authority (Accountability Bill), would include a legal duty of candour on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively co-operate with official investigations and inquiries.

In December, the government stopped short of introducing the legislation, and signed up to a Hillsborough Charter instead, pledging to place the public interest above its own reputation.

The government said it was "not aware" of any gaps or clarifications needed that would further encourage a culture of candour among public servants in law.

However, campaigners said more is needed "to stop the pattern of cover-ups".

The 35th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster will be marked on 15 April

Mr Parkin will run an average of 30 miles (48km) a day and is due to pass through Manchester and Sheffield before finishing at Grenfell Tower in London on 20 April.

The avid Liverpool fan, originally from Durham, said he believed a new law "could make a massive change", citing the long-running fights for justice victims have endured, including those of the Manchester Arena bombings and the infected blood and Post Office Horizon scandals.

Mr Parkin said: "Everybody who's been affected by this, none of them were doing anything risky at all.

"The Grenfell guys went to bed, the Post Office families went to work and were selling stamps, people went to a football match, people went to a music concert.

"You don't expect anything like this to happen and your life turns upside down.

"So not only will it reduce that anguish of getting the truth, it also means when you have the truth, you can change."

Mr Parkin encouraged people to write to their MPs urging them to enact the Hillsborough Law.

A spokesperson for the Hillsborough Law campaign wished Mr Parkin good luck for his run and said it "serves as a timely reminder in an election year of the need to bring in a Hillsborough law".

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