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Hillsborough families demand probe into dropped charges against former police chief
Former police chief Sir Norman Bettison speaks to the media outside Preston Crown Court, where the charges brought against him following the Hillsborough disaster were discontinued

HILLSBOROUGH families have announced that they will be demanding an independent review to scrutinise today’s Crown Prosecution Service decision not to prosecute former police chief Norman Bettison.

Mr Bettison, 62, had been charged with four counts of misconduct in a public office, all relating to alleged lies he told following the 1989 stadium disaster in which 96 Liverpool fans died.

At Preston Crown Court, prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC said the proceedings against Mr Bettison, a South Yorkshire Police chief inspector at the time of the disaster, would be discontinued as there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.

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