Hillsborough 96 posthumously awarded Freedom of Liverpool

The Hillsborough victims' families, Prof Phil Scraton and Kenny and Marina Dalglish with their freedom medals

The 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster and former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish have been awarded the Freedom of Liverpool.

Scrolls bearing the name of each victim were presented to their families along with a medal to denote the city's "highest honour".

Dalglish's wife Marina was also honoured, as were the former Bishop of Liverpool, and Prof Phil Scraton.

Their medals were presented during a ceremony at St George's Hall.

In April, an inquest jury found the fans who died as a result of a crush at the 1989 FA Cup game in Sheffield were unlawfully killed.

Mr Dalglish, who was manager at the time of the tragedy, ensured the club was represented at the fans' funerals and, along with his wife, helped support the bereaved families.

He said: "We only did for the families what they did for us - support us."

Hillsbroough campaigners Trevor Hicks and Margaret Aspinall, and Kenny Dalglish pose with Freedom of the City of Liverpool medals outside St George"s Hall

Medals were presented at St George's Hall in Liverpool

Former bishop, the Rt Rev James Jones led the Hillsborough Independent Panel, which uncovered evidence in 2012 about the disaster.

Prof Scraton led the panel's research team and his book, Hillsborough: The Truth, first published in 1999, is widely accepted as the definitive account of the disaster.

The victims' families were awarded freedom of the city of Liverpool in 2009.

Candles were lit and roses laid to commemorate the 96 victims

A special ceremony was held at St George's Hall

A scroll made out to Jon-Paul Gilhooley, who at the age of 10, was the youngest person to lose his life at Hillsborough

Scrolls and medals were awarded to the families of the 96 football fans who died after the Hillsborough stadium crush