ONE year on from new inquests opening into the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans, a jury in Birchwood continues to hear evidence regarding what happened on the day of the disaster.  

The new inquests were initially expected to last nine months but may now continue until early 2016 scrutinising events surrounding April 15, 1989. 

The hearings began on March 31 last year with emotional portraits of those who died including Warrington residents 19-year-old Ian ‘Ronnie’ Whelan, of Duckworth Grove, Padgate, David Benson, aged 22, of Hall Nook, Penketh, 19-year-old Colin Ashcroft, of Strawberry Close, Locking Stumps and Eric Hughes, aged 42, of Barmouth Close, Callands.

But today the court heard two key failures by South Yorkshire Police which led to the Hillsborough disaster were 'probably' in the mind of the force's second-in-command the next day.

Then deputy chief constable Peter Hayes told the hearing that it was his view, then and now, that firstly the tragedy occurred because of the failures to control the crowd outside the Leppings Lane entrance to Sheffield Wednesday's ground at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.

And secondly was followed by 'an error of the first magnitude' when supporters were not stopped entering the tunnel and on to the already overcrowded central pens of the terraces.

But he agreed the force bore no responsibility for any blame at Lord Justice Taylor's resulting public inquiry which began a month later and that he himself was among chief officers who were 'very pleased' with the force's legal submissions - some of which focused on shifting responsibility to others, including fans.

Mr Hayes denied he had been part of 'a cover-up' and had sought to mislead Lord Justice Taylor.

When giving his first significant account of the tragedy this year, Mr Hayes stated it was 'irrefutable' that police were to blame for those two mistakes but he went on to say that some people within the force thought fans had also contributed to the disaster.

The court is due to break after Wednesday for Easter and the 26th anniversary of the disaster and will resume on April 20.