A police watchdog said today that a former chief constable could have been sacked for his actions following the publication of a damning report into the Hillsborough football disaster.
The watchdog concluded that Sir Norman Bettison had a case to answer for discreditable conduct and abuse of authority. He resigned from his post in West Yorkshire last year.
Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC, said: “It was the IPCC’s view at the start of the investigation, as it was the view of his Police Authority, that Sir Norman’s actions, if proven, fell so far short of what is expected of a chief constable that dismissal would be justified.
"The evidence uncovered during the investigation supports that view. While we cannot bring this case to misconduct proceedings, we can publish the evidence and our conclusions, so that the public can judge for themselves.”
The investigation related to the period after the Hillsborough Independent Panel report, which laid bare attempts to shift the blame for the tragedy to the victims.
An inquiry into Sir Norman’s conduct following the 1989 disaster, when he was involved in South Yorkshire Police’s investigation, is ongoing. Sir Norman has denied any wrongdoing.
