( CNN ) -- A top British police officer being investigated over a cover-up in connection with the death of 96 people in the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989 has resigned , his force said Wednesday . Sir Norman Bettison was with South Yorkshire Police at the time of the crush at Sheffield 's Hillsborough Stadium , and worked on an internal inquiry into what happened . Bettison has been under growing pressure since an independent report published last month was heavily critical of the role played by the police and emergency services . In response , Britain 's police watchdog , the Independent Police Complaints Commission , launched a criminal investigation into police misconduct -- saying the report `` revealed extremely serious and troubling issues for the police . '' Bettison 's resignation as Chief Constable of the West Yorkshire Police is effective immediately , the force said in a statement Wednesday . He had held the position since 2006 . Media attention and the investigation by the IPCC were `` proving to be a huge distraction for the force , '' the West Yorkshire Police Authority said . Bettison said he had hoped to stay in his post to address the allegations against him , but was urged by the West Yorkshire Police Authority and others to stand down now . `` I do so not because of any allegations about the past , but because I share the view that this has become a distraction to policing in West Yorkshire now and in the future , '' he said . Bettison said he had `` always felt the deepest compassion and sympathy for the families '' of the Hillsborough victims and he shares their desire to know the truth about what happened . `` I have never blamed the fans for causing the tragedy , '' he said . Bettison said he would cooperate fully with the criminal and IPCC investigations into the police handling of the disaster . The crush at Sheffield 's Hillsborough Stadium on April 15 , 1989 , has cast a lasting shadow over Liverpool and the surrounding Merseyside area . The families of those killed and injured have battled for two decades to get to the truth about what happened on that awful day , with the report by the independent panel a key step along that road . The Hillsborough Independent Panel found there had been `` strenuous attempts '' by police to deflect responsibility for the disaster to Liverpool fans by falsely claiming they were drunk and aggressive . Its analysis also revealed that changes were made by South Yorkshire Police to police statements to remove and alter comments unfavorable to their organization . As many as 41 of those crushed could have survived had the emergency services ' response been better , the panel concluded -- something that the families of the victims had long suspected . The tragedy occurred when thousands of fans were let through a gate into an already crowded standing area , leading many to be crushed against metal fences and concrete walls . Horrifying images from the scene showed panicked men , women and children pushed and trampled with nowhere to go as police lost control of the crowd . The impact of English football 's darkest day lives on in the tributes still paid by Liverpool to its lost sons and daughters , husbands and fathers . But the tragedy also forced the sport to change on a national basis , and in a way still felt today , with stadiums modernized and made more family friendly , leading in turn to greater investment from sponsors and TV broadcasters . CNN 's Laura Perez Maestro contributed to this report .
However Bettison says he does not want to be a ` ` distraction '' to his work . Police officers are being questioned over the 2011 Hillsborough Stadium disaster . Bettison denies blaming Liverpool fans for the tragedy . 96 people died and hundreds were injured in the crush at Wembley Stadium .