Hillsborough: Attorney general replies to Anne Williams plea

Anne Williams set up the charity Hope For Hillsborough (For Justice)

The attorney general has vowed to urgently apply for a new inquest for Hillsborough victim Kevin Williams after learning his mother has cancer.

Anne Williams's son, 15, died in the disaster at the Sheffield stadium in April 1989.

After new evidence emerged that many of the 96 deaths could have been avoided, Dominic Grieve applied to quash the original accidental death verdicts.

He said Mrs Williams's diagnosis lent the process "additional urgency".

Last month, Mrs Williams, from Chester, said on Twitter: "I would love to have my inquest before I die."

An online petition set up last month, calling for Kevin's inquest to be brought forward, has attracted 28,000 signatures.

The office of Mr Grieve responded by posting a note on the petition, stating: "The attorney general is deeply saddened to hear of Anne Williams's diagnosis.

'Sad news'

"He continues to give this matter priority and, as explained in his statement to the House of Commons on 16 October 2012, he is consulting the families on his application [to the High Court].

Kevin Williams was 15 when he died in the Hillsborough tragedy

"He recognises the additional urgency this sad news brings to the process and will make his application as soon as he possibly can."

The original inquest in 1991 returned a verdict of accidental death, ruling that all the victims were dead by 15:15.

Mrs Williams, 59, said she had evidence that her son was still alive at 16:00 on the day of the disaster.

She set up the charity Hope For Hillsborough (For Justice) and has always campaigned for a new inquest to be held.

More than 100,000 people signed a petition set up earlier this year calling for a fresh inquest into Kevin's death.

Since then, the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report published on 12 September revealed the lives of 41 fans could potentially have been saved.