Former Sun editor 'profoundly sorry' for Hillsborough story

Just four days after a mass crush on a standing-only terrace at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground in northern England that ultimately killed 96 Liverpool fans, the Sun ran a front-page story proclaiming "The Truth" about what had happened in the club's FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

It featured quotes from anonymous police officers that some fans had "urinated on cops", "picked pockets of victims" and even beat up a policeman giving the "kiss of life" to a stricken supporter.

For years the Sun stood by a story it said it had received from White's news agency in Sheffield but which the inquest found to have contained "deliberate misinformation from the South Yorkshire Police".

The Sun's coverage prompted a mass boycott of the newspaper on Merseyside and MacKenzie, who had previously apologised for the story, said in a statement on Tuesday: "Today's verdicts are an important step in obtaining justice for the victims. My heart goes out to those who have waited so long for vindication.

"As I have said before, the headline I published was wrong and I am profoundly sorry for the hurt it caused."

"Clearly, I was wrong to take the police's version of events at face value and it is a mistake I deeply regret."

Meanwhile MacKenzie said police officers responsible for a "cover-up" should face prosecution.

"The Crown Prosecution Service must now ensure that those officers within South Yorkshire Police responsible for the cover-up are brought to trial."

In an interview with British television's ITV News, MacKenzie said he "absolutely" agreed with the inquest jury's verdicts.

"It's been an absolute disgrace what the police have done in South Yorkshire these last 27 years," he said.

"I feel desperate for the families and the people and I also feel that in some strange way I got caught up in it. I feel terrible for them."

As for his original use of the story, MacKenzie added: "Everybody got sent this agency story. I printed it in that way.

"But honestly, the way it affected those families was a disgrace and I'm delighted for the families."