Hillsborough: Liverpool Town Hall plaque honours the 97 victims

A plaque has been unveiled at Liverpool Town Hall to permanently honour the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

The brass plaque is engraved with each of the victims' names, commemorating their Freedom of the City status.

The first 96 victims of the disaster were posthumously given the honorary award in September 2016.

Andrew Devine received the same recognition in December when an inquest ruled he was unlawfully killed, making him the 97th victim.

The football fans died as a result of a crush at the stadium in Sheffield during Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989.

James Shield, building events supervisor at Liverpool City Council, said: "I'm proud of being a part of the project. It's part of the city.

"That will never go away. I'll go to another place maybe, but that won't. It's always there."

The plaque was engraved by Shawcross Limited, whose director Graham Carrigan said he "admired the families for what they've done to get justice for the 97".

Loraine Scott, part of the team of engravers, said: "To be able to do something like this is just a lovely thing to do."

Liverpool FC have also announced that a new 97 emblem will be on the clubs playing shirts for the 2022-23 season.

It will also feature on the club's website and digital channels.

Mr Devine's name was also added to the Hillsborough memorial at Anfield stadium earlier this year.

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