The Attorney General has paved the way for a fresh inquest to be held into the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans in the Hillsborough disaster 23 years ago.

Dominic Grieve QC said he will apply to the High Court to have the verdicts of the original hearing quashed so a new inquest can be held.

The move comes after a damning report into the disaster laid bare a cover-up which attempted to shift the blame for the tragedy on to its victims.

Ninety six Liverpool supporters died in the crush at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium on April 15 1989, where their team were to meet Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final.

Mr Grieve said: "My consideration of the evidence is far from complete but, given the anxiety further delay may cause the families affected by the Hillsborough disaster, I have decided to take an exceptional course and state at this stage that, on the basis of what I have already seen, I have determined that I must make an application to the court.

"In doing so, I should make it clear that further work will need to be done before any application can be made.

"In particular, there was not one inquest but 96.

"My current view is that I will apply to have every one of those 96 inquests quashed."

"I believe that these deaths, arising as they do from a common chain of events, should all be considered afresh."