While the available evidence indicates that some officers did speak to the media, the IOPC has not found evidence that this was done in an organised way, or at the instruction of SYP senior officers.
In fact, there is evidence on two occasions of senior officers specifically instructing colleagues not to speak to the media.
On 19 April 1989, the day The Sun’s article was published, an entry on the SYP press log stated: “With immediate effect no South Yorkshire Police Officer will make any statement or comment to members of the media about the incident at Hillsborough football ground on Saturday 15 April 1989 without the Chief Constable’s express permission and approval.” An instruction to this effect was circulated throughout SYP that day, suggesting it may have been in response to the media coverage, including officers’ comments, that morning.
Then on 29 April, DCC Hayes circulated a memo reminding all officers that no one was to speak to the press without the express permission of the Chief Constable.
These instructions were in keeping with SYP’s Standing Order 31B (Media Liaison), which stated that “members of the Force, other than authorised, must not supply information to media enquiries on police matters”. This Standing Order instructed that in the case of criticism of the police or matters with which the Police Authority was likely to be concerned, “the supply of information to the media… will be restricted to chief officers.” It is reasonable to suggest that officers of all ranks would have known that the Hillsborough disaster was one such matter.
