Hillsborough: Times admits front page 'mistake'

The Times says it made a "mistake" in not having the Hillsborough verdicts on the front page of its first edition.

The newspaper said it fixed the error before its second edition.

The Times was criticised along with the Sun, which also left news of the inquest verdicts off its front page.

The Sun published an article titled "The Truth" days after the tragedy in 1989, alleging fans were to blame - but the inquest's jury exonerated Liverpool supporters.

The Times and the Sun - which both covered the story with double-page spreads inside - are part of News UK, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp group.

There was no mention of the inquest on the Sun's Facebook page, but people used comment threads on other stories to vent their anger.

Facebook users criticised The Sun's decision not to mention the inquest on its front page

One of the most-shared tweets was from actor Stephen Mangan, who wrote: "Wait - neither The Sun nor the Times mention Hillsborough on their front pages?"

He described them "disgraceful" and "contemptible".

Football commentator Gary Lineker said it was "as disgusting as it is unsurprising".

Liverpool fans renewed their call for a boycott of the Sun.

People have been using hashtags such as #dontbuythesun #shutthesun and #shutthesundown to show their anger on Twitter.

Actor Jamie Lee-Hill was among those suggesting people should boycott media companies owned by Mr Murdoch.

The paper apologised for its coverage in 2004 and again in 2012.

In its Tuesday edition, The Sun said: "We apologised prominently 12 years ago, again four years ago on the front page, and do so unreservedly again now."

The Sun's front page four days after the tragedy included quotes by an anonymous policeman who alleged fans had "picked pockets of victims" and "urinated on cops".

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, the Sun's editor at the time, Kelvin MacKenzie, said: "Do I wish to God that I had never done that front page? I absolutely do, but I was duped."

Asked if the Hillsborough inquest findings should have been included on the front page, he said: "That's not a decision for me.

"I'm not the editor of the Sun. He [the Sun's editor-in-chief Tony Gallagher] is a very successful guy, former editor of the Daily Telegraph. He makes pretty good decisions."

The Sun's political editor, Tom Newton Dunn, said he could understand if people were still angry over his paper's reporting of the disaster.

"We deserve everything that is thrown our way," he told Sky News.

'Gross negligence'

The Times changed Wednesday's front page in a second edition which included a photograph of victims' families outside the Warrington court room.

The Times' Merseyside football writer, Tony Barrett, has apologised to his Twitter followers, apparently referring to the anger over his paper's front page.

After hearing more than two years of evidence, the jury on Tuesday concluded the fans in the 1989 disaster were unlawfully killed.

The jury found match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield was "responsible for manslaughter by gross negligence" due to a breach of his duty of care.