Hillsborough Wikipedia Insults 'Sent from Government Computers'

An investigation has been launched into allegations that insulting amendments to the Wikipedia page on the Hillsborough disaster were sent from government computers.

The Cabinet Office said they are treating claims that changes to the page dedicated to the 1989 tragedy, in which 96 Liverpool fans died, were sent from within Whitehall with the "uttermost respect".

Changes to the page include the addition of "Blame Liverpool fans" in 2009 and altering the phrase "You'll Never Walk Alone" to "You'll never walk again" and later to "You'll never w**k alone", according to the Liverpool Echo.

Further additions include changing the slogan "This is Anfield", which appears in the player's tunnel to the ground, to "This is a "S**thole".

An entry about the Hillsborough memorial service at Anfield also added the the line "nothing for the victims of the Heysel stadium disaster", while the quote on the Bill Shankley statue outside Anfield was changed from "He made the people happy" to "He made a wonderful lemon drizzle cake".

The IP address from which the changes were made was allegedly linked to computers in government departments including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Her Majesty's Treasury.

Margaret Aspinall, of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said she was "saddened" by the allegations.

She added: "I hear something like that and it upsets me a great deal, it makes me incredibly sad. I'm glad somebody has found out about it but I'm frightened to be honest that we haven't known until now."

Sheila Coleman, of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, described the alterations as "absolutely disgusting" and demanded a formal inquiry.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "This is a matter that we will treat with the utmost seriousness and are making urgent inquiries.

"No one should be in any doubt of the government's position regarding the Hillsborough disaster and its support for the families of the 96 victims and all those affected by the tragedy."

The allegations emerged as a fresh inquest into the deaths of the 96 people gets underway in Warrington, Cheshire. The original accidental deaths verdict was quashed following the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Report in 2012.