Mayor of Liverpool calls on Paul Nuttall to apologise to Hillsborough families over false claims

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson's urged Paul Nuttall to apologise to Hillsborough families after Radio City News revealed claims on his website about losing friends at the tragedy weren't true.

Mr Nuttall apologised on Tuesday for the claim - contained in at least two press releases on his website - after being challenged during an interview with Radio City Talk

He told presenter Dave Easton: "I haven't lost a close personal friend, I've lost someone who I know. I haven't put that out, that is wrong."

On Tuesday a UKIP press officer said she was "entirely responsible" for the website post and had offered her resignation.

A Ukip spokesman said on Wednesday that the resignation had been rejected, adding: "Obviously Paul is grateful for her offer, but what sort of chap would he be to say her career is dead for what seems to be a minor error six years ago?"

In a statement Mr Nuttall made clear he stands by his account of being present at the disaster as a 12-year-old fan, after doubts were raised by the Guardian.

"From the upper tier of the Leppings Lane end of the Hillsborough Stadium, I watched the events of that day unfold with horror," he said.

The UKIP leader personal website remains down for scheduled maintenance this lunchtime

His press officer took the blame for the two articles - but Nuttall is now facing calls to resign.

Mayor Anderson said:

"I think it's anger that people feel that someone would want to exploit a tragedy in such a way. That's why i can understand the families are angry because for a lot of people in public life what have done a lot for work they've never to try to expose themselves for any comment from people about what they've done."

At the end of that it's up to his own conscious, it is distasteful if people use tragic events to increase their popularity, I think it's up to his own conscious to do the honorable thing and right thing and apologies to the families for any offence caused"

Meanwhile Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron branded Mr Nuttall a "disgrace", telling the Daily Mirror: "Paul Nuttall is a coward." You cannot believe a word that comes out of his mouth.

"And every time he gets caught making things up, he just blames it on the office junior. The man is a disgrace."

Mr Nuttall has stood by his account that he was at the stadium when tragedy struck on April 15 1989.

However families of some of the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the disaster have voiced their anger at the false claim that he lost close personal friends.

Barry Devonside, whose son Christopher, 18, was among the victims, said the Ukip leader's credibility had "gone out of the window" and branded the post "insensitive"

"We don't need this kind of thing from Paul Nuttall. He should know better as a politician and leader of UKIP," Mr Devonside said.

Hillsborough Family Support Group chairwoman Margaret Aspinall said "A lot of people who were there that day did lose close personal friends and I think it's an insult to them as well as to all the families who did lose somebody on that day.''

Mr Nuttall apologised on Tuesday for the claim - contained in at least two press releases on his website - after being challenged during an interview with Radio City Talk

He told presenter Dave Easton: "I haven't lost a close personal friend, I've lost someone who I know. I haven't put that out, that is wrong."

On Tuesday UKIP press officer Lynda Roughley said she was entirely responsible'' for the website post and had offered her resignation.

A Ukip spokesman said on Wednesday that the resignation had been rejected, adding: "Obviously Paul is grateful for her offer, but what sort of chap would he be to say her career is dead for what seems to be a minor error six years ago?''

In a statement Mr Nuttall made clear he stands by his account of being present at the disaster as a 12-year-old fan, after doubts were raised by the Guardian.

"From the upper tier of the Leppings Lane end of the Hillsborough Stadium, I watched the events of that day unfold with horror," he said.