A campaign group for victims and survivors of the Hillsborough disaster have accused the Government of snubbing them over talks to release files about the tragedy that cost 96 Liverpool fans their lives.
This afternoon the Hillsborough Family Support Group will meet with Alan Johnson MP at the Home Office about the release of over 2,000 documents relating to Britain's worst stadium disaster in April 1989.
But the Hillsborough Justice Campaign - who represent the families of three of the victims - were not invited to the discussion in London. The families of Ian Glover and Peter Burkett are members of the HJC as are those of Michael Kelly.
Michael's brother Steve spoke of the disappointment of the negotiations snub which he described as 'closed shop'.
“I met with Jane Kennedy and Derek Twigg a couple of weeks ago to ask what was happening and we were told that archivists might be called in to release that amount of documents," he said.
“The next I hear the Home Secretary is meeting families from what I read in the paper. It seems to be a closed shop. It feels we’re stigmatised in the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.
"I’ve seen my mum and sister die since Hillsborough who have never seen the family get justice for Michael. Somebody, somewhere picked my brother up and carried him. I want to thank him if I could. We want to be involved in these talks to find out things like that.”
A spokesperson for the HJC added: “Even now, when the government is trying to put things right, they are still creating rifts.
"There is all this talk about transparency, but the government is still ignoring a lot of families.”
It is reported that members of the HFSG have signed a confidentiality agreement with preventing them speaking publicly about the talks.
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