Last updated at 16:58, Thursday, 13 September 2012

A SENIOR Cumbrian health figure, who was at the ground on the day of the Hillsborough disaster, has given his reaction to yesterday’s announcements.

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John Ashton, director of public health in Cumbria and a long-time Liverpool fan, was at the stadium with his sons and saw people “clambering up” to escape the crush.

He told the Evening Mail how he spent the next few hours helping the injured and trying to set up a triage system to prioritise the limited resources.

And now he said he hopes yesterday’s revelations can help the families finally start to come to terms with what happened 23 years ago.

He said: “I saw people clambering up to where we were to escape from below.

“Then I remember seeing lifeless forms being brought out onto the pitch and I said to one of my boys ‘I think that person is dead’.

“It was a scene of chaos and mayhem.”

As a doctor, he then took charge of the situation and tended to the people injured in the crush. He also said he had to certify several people dead.

But he continued: “At around 5pm we were all chucked out and the police had all been assembled for a debriefing.”

He said he thought that was where the “systematic conspiracy” began.

“We heard today the police systematically attempted to deflect blame onto the supporters,” he said.

“They used the police computer system to get evidence against the people who died. They abused the system – this is corruption.

“The finding that 41 out of the 96 who died had the potential to be saved is truly shocking.”

And speaking of the people responsible, he said they need to be asked what they have to say for themselves and their actions.

He added: “I hope the families can now begin to come to terms with what happened. Now the lies and cover-up are starting to be peeled off, hopefully that gives way to emotional progress.”

First published at 10:29, Thursday, 13 September 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk