Hillsborough trial: PC 'advised to review' statement

Alan Foster, Donald Denton and Peter Metcalf each deny perverting the course of justice

A police officer's criticism of senior colleagues on duty at Hillsborough was removed from his account after a lawyer invited him to review it, a jury heard.

Jurors were shown PC Philip Hooson's original comments which said he "cannot recall any senior officer taking command" in the 1989 tragedy.

It was not in his final statement.

Retired Ch Supt Donald Denton, 83, retired Det Ch Insp Alan Foster, 74, and former solicitor Peter Metcalf, 71, deny perverting the course of justice.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans died as a result of a crush at the stadium during the club's FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

The men on trial are accused of changing police statements to minimise the blame on South Yorkshire Police in the aftermath of the disaster.

The Nightingale court at the Lowry Theatre, Salford, was shown Mr Hooson's original statement which said: "I cannot recall at any time any senior officer taking command of the situation or organising anything.

"I know as a matter of fact that certainly did not happen where I was, irrespective of what is now being said."

Ninety-six Liverpool fans died as a result of the tragedy on 15 April 1989

The court heard Mr Metcalf, who acted for South Yorkshire Police, advised Mr Hooson he "may wish to review" the comments.

The remarks did not appear in later versions of his statement, the jury was told.

Officers from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which investigated South Yorkshire Police's response to the disaster, have taken the jury through more than 30 examples of statements reviewed and often amended.

After being vetted, the statements were sent to West Midlands Police, which was investigating the tragedy, and used for the public inquiry into safety at sports grounds led by Lord Justice Taylor.

The court was also shown PC Robert House's statement which described "very few police officers" in an area outside the stadium.

The court heard Mr Foster asked a detective inspector to see Mr House with a view to reviewing the paragraph or "removing it altogether" after a handwritten note by another officer suggested he was "making an assumption we can manage without".

IOPC officer Andrew Smith confirmed to the court a note was sent to Mr Foster informing him Mr House refused to alter or delete the comments.

In Mr Foster's reply, shown to the court, he said having reread the statement he did not consider the comment "particularly important" or "sufficiently critical to warrant pursuing this further".

The trial continues.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]