Hearing announced to determine Hillsborough inquest date (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Hearing announced to determine Hillsborough inquest date

5:50pm Friday 22nd March 2013 in News

A HEARING is to be held next month to determine the date and location for the new inquest into the death of the 96 Hillsborough victims, including Bromsgrove man Andrew Brookes.

Mr Brookes was only 26-years-old when he died in 1989 at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, held at Sheffield’s Hillsborough stadium.

The original inquest into the deaths recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Last December, a new inquest was ordered for Mr Brookes and the other Liverpool supporters after the High Court quashed the original verdict.

Lord Justice Goldring, who sat on the trial of 10-year-old Damilola Taylor's killers, was also appointed coroner for the inquests.

It has been announced a preliminary hearing to set the date and location of the new inquest will be held in London on Thursday, April 25.

The location is significant as the original inquest was held in Sheffield and there have been calls from the victim’s families for the new hearing to be held elsewhere.

Inquests can now be held anywhere in England and Wales, if it is in the best interest of bereaved families and others, following a change to the Coroners Act.

A damning report on the Hillsborough disaster, revealing the extent of a police cover-up that attempted to shift the blame for the tragedy on to victims, was published last September.

A new police investigation and an inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission are underway.