Twenty-two people are now on the suspect list in two ongoing investigations into the Hillsborough disaster, police watchdog the IPCC said yesterday.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has identified 13 retired or serving officers as it probes allegations of a cover-up by South Yorkshire Police after the 1989 tragedy in Sheffield.

They have been interviewed in connection with a range of allegations including manslaughter.

And Operation Resolve, the wider criminal investigation into Hillsborough, also has 13 suspects on the table - four people are on both lists, making the total 22.

Resolve's tally is thought to include six retired police officers and seven who worked for non-police organisations.

Retired Durham chief constable Jon Stoddart is leading Operation Resolve, the new, wider-ranging criminal investigation into the disaster.

The IPCC inquiry was announced after the Hillsborough Independent Panel's damning report uncovering shocking evidence that police had doctored statements.

The commission said it had identified 251 accounts "which are suspected of being subject to amendments."

Of these 251 officers, 24 are dead, 12 have been deemed unfit for interview at this time and 13 have refused to be interviewed, the IPCC said.