Acting chief constable would 'welcome' Orgreave assessment

The interim chief constable of South Yorkshire Police says he'd welcome an independent assessment of the Battle of Orgreave.

Published 5th May 2016

The interim chief constable of South Yorkshire Police says he'd welcome an independent assessment of the Battle of Orgreave.

Dave Jones - who's acting as temporary chief constable after David Crompton was suspended - has released a statement saying recent inquests into Hillsborough have highlighted the need to look at significant events:

“The Hillsborough Inquests have brought into sharp focus the need to understand and confront the past and give people the opportunity to explore the circumstances of such significant events.

“I would therefore welcome an appropriate independent assessment of Orgreave accepting that the way in which this is delivered is a matter for the Home Secretary."

The police watchdog is currently considering whether an unredacted version of a report into events at the Orgreave coking plant during the 1984 miners' strike can now be made public.

Dave Jones has said he will be engaging with the Hillsborough families and also those associated with the ongoing controversy over the policing of the Orgreave pickets during the dispute.

Campaigners have fought for more than three decades to uncover the full story behind allegations of police mistreatment of striking miners.