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Hillsborough papers to be disclosed

However, the Home Secretary (interior minister) Theresa May made clear the release of all official files would first be handed to an independent panel set up two years ago to handle disclosure out of "dignity and respect" for the families concerned.

"Let me say here and now, in this House and on the record... I will do everything in my power to ensure the families and the public get the truth," she told lawmakers in a late-night debate in parliament.

"No government papers will be withheld from the panel, no attempts to suppress publication will be made, no stone will be left unturned," May said, adding that all government documents - including cabinet minutes - would be made available with "minimal redactions."

"The principle underlying the process is that of maximum possible disclosure and disclosure to the families first and then to the wider public."

Her press secretary Bernard Ingham caused great offence when he later blamed the tragedy on a "tanked-up mob." The Sun newspaper has also long been scorned in Liverpool after it published a report blaming fans for the disaster.

May said there may have to be minor redactions, covering the names of some junior civil servants and the details of the victims' confidential medical files.

But she insisted that had "absolutely nothing to do with attempting to suppress the release of these papers or to somehow hide the truth."

The match was abandoned after a few minutes when fans tried to scale fencing to escape the overcrowding and officials finally became aware of the deadly crush behind the goal defended by Liverpool's Bruce Grobbelaar.

Pat Joynes, whose son Nicholas was one of the 96 fans who died, hopes that Monday's debate will lead to all documents on the disaster being published in full.

"We've met the panel several times and they're really strong and they say that there will hopefully be no redaction," she told the BBC.

"If there is any redaction, to me this is a waste of time."