Hillsborough: trial of former South Yorkshire police officers collapses

Judge rules two former officers and ex-solicitor accused of perverting the course of justice have no case to answer

A judge has stopped the trial of two former South Yorkshire police officers and the force's former solicitor, who had been charged with perverting the course of justice for amending police statements after the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Mr Justice William Davis ruled that there was no case for the defendants to answer because the altered police statements were prepared for the public inquiry into the disaster by Lord Justice Taylor. That was not a statutory public inquiry, at which evidence is given on oath, so it was not a course of public justice", which could be perverted by amending statements, Davis ruled.