It has been suggested that one reason some senior officers persisted in these attempts to deflect blame was because they were Freemasons, and wished to protect a fellow Freemason, Ch Supt Duckenfield.
At some point after the disaster, it became public knowledge that Ch Supt Duckenfield was not only a Freemason but actually had been the head of a masonic lodge in Sheffield. This led to allegations that he was promoted above his capability and experience because he was a mason, and that fellow masons ‘closed ranks’ around him in the aftermath of the disaster.
To investigate these allegations, the IOPC sought to establish which other SYP officers were Freemasons; whether there was evidence to support the inference that membership of the masons improved career prospects within SYP; and, specifically, whether any of the officers who were masons were in a position to influence Ch Supt Duckenfield’s promotion or to protect him following the disaster.
When interviewing SYP and WMP officers, IOPC investigators routinely asked them whether they were or had ever been a member of the Freemasons. Very few stated they were, or had ever been, masons. However, some alleged that masons were in a position of influence in SYP at the time and that being a mason increased an officer’s likelihood of promotion. Others wholly dismissed this.
The IOPC approached UGLE, the governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales and the Channel Islands to ask for its assistance. UGLE agreed and in May 2016, the IOPC provided UGLE with a list of 98 names that had featured in its investigation, to ask if they had been masons. These included senior officers from both SYP and WMP who featured repeatedly in the IOPC investigation.
Of the 98 names submitted, UGLE found 12 matches on its membership records. Nine of these were confirmed matches; there were also one possible and two probable matches. This indicated that membership among senior officers was not as widespread as had been rumoured.
ACC Anderson was one of the confirmed matches and some in the force believed he remained a high-ranking mason in 1989. This has led to the suggestion that he recommended the promotion of Ch Supt Duckenfield because both were masons. At the Goldring Inquests, ACC Anderson asserted he did not know Ch Supt Duckenfield was a mason; the IOPC has not found any evidence to support or challenge this.
Having reviewed details of his career, the IOPC has not found evidence to indicate that Ch Supt Duckenfield was promoted because he was a mason.
Nor has the IOPC found evidence that SYP’s actions in the aftermath of the disaster were motivated by a desire to protect fellow masons; there were multiple other potential motivations. Further, the IOPC has not found evidence to support claims of a broader masonic conspiracy or cover-up.
