The decision of the jury at the Hillsborough inquest has finally brought to light the truth about this appalling miscarriage of justice.

I would like to pay tribute to the 96 families and all those who were affected by the tragedy at Hillsborough 27 years ago. Their fortitude is an example to us all. I hope they feel that their journey to justice is finally underway.

Given the revelations about how the police acted on that day, and since, I fully support the decision of Dr Alan Billings, the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, to suspend David Crompton from his duties as Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police.

The trust and faith that the public invest in their police force has been deeply eroded by, not just this news, but also by the wider concern about the policing of the miners’ strike and the revelations about child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

This must be the start of forging a new relationship between the public and the police, founded on transparency, trust and a strong code of ethics. I believe that Alan, given his track record of standing up for people in South Yorkshire, is best placed to oversee this process and I fully support his proposals to build this new partnership and bring in a new senior leadership team.