Police planning errors 'caused or contributed' to the dangerous situation that developed on the day of the Hillsborough disaster, the jury at the inquests into the deaths of the 96 Liverpool fans has concluded.

Jurors sitting in Warrington, Cheshire, agreed the tragedy happened "as a result of crushing in the central pens of the Leppings Lane terrace, following the admission of a large number of supporters to the stadium through the exit gates".

And they answered yes to the question: "Was there any error or omission in police planning or preparation which caused or contributed to the dangerous situation that developed on the day of the match?"

They were the first of 14 general questions they were asked, with others covering stadium safety, the emergency response to the disaster and whether the fans were unlawfully killed.

The Hillsborough tragedy unfolded during Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final tie against Nottingham Forest on April 15 1989, as thousands of fans were crushed at Sheffield Wednesday's ground.

Overall match commander Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield gave the order at 2.52pm to open exit Gate C in Leppings Lane, allowing around 2,000 fans to flood into the already packed central pens behind the goal.

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