A top policeman told his officers to ‘ go away and gather evidence ’ so they could blame drunken fans for the Hillsborough disaster , a court has heard . Former inspector Clive Davis claimed police were ordered to look for beer cans by the side of a motorway and talk to locals , off licence owners and pub landlords about the behaviour of Liverpool supporters at a ‘ call to arms ’ meeting of top brass just two days after the tragedy . He said Chief Superintendent Terry Wain , who lead the briefing at the headquarters of South Yorkshire police , told his officers : ‘ We are going to put the blame for this disaster where it belongs : on the drunken , ticketless Liverpool fans. ’ Ninety-six Liverpool fans died from the crush at the Sheffield Wednesday 's Hillsborough stadium as the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest got under way . Mr Davis , who was giving evidence at the new inquests into the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters , later took part in a Panorama programme for the BBC in which he likened the culture of the force in April 1989 to a ‘ Tudor Court. ’ The hearing was told that Chief Constable Peter Wright was a strict disciplinarian , an all-powerful Henry VIII figure , running his own ‘ Wolf Hall ’ where mistakes were never admitted or allowed to enter the public domain . Mr Davis said Mr Wright could make or break careers – helping further the prospects of those who did his bidding and stifling the development of those he didn ’ t approve of . He said there was no doubt Chief Superintendent Wain , whose briefing he described as the start of the police ‘ fight-back , ’ was acting on the orders of Chief Constable Wright and had been simply ‘ given a job to do. ’ Former inspector Clive Davis claimed police were ordered to look for beer cans by the side of a motorway in the days after the tragedy . Mr Davis said he was told by his boss to attend the meeting , on the Monday morning after the abandoned FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest , because it would be a good way to get noticed ‘ career-wise. ’ He said Chief Inspector Norman Bettison , who was his superior , told him the disaster was ‘ the biggest thing to happen in South Yorkshire Police ’ and it would benefit them ‘ to be a part of what was going to happen in the wake of it. ’ The inquest heard that then Chief Inspector Norman Bettison , pictured said the disaster was ‘ the biggest thing to happen in South Yorkshire Police ’ But the jury were told that senior officers disputed that the meeting , on April 17 1989 , ever took place . No documents or minutes of the ‘ jaw-dropping ’ briefing , supposedly held on the fifth floor of South Yorkshire police headquarters , in Sheffield , have ever been found . Mr Davis , who retired from the force in 2006 , admitted he kept quiet about the meeting because he would have `` become the problem ’ and forced to leave his job . But after hearing senior officers continue to blame fans , following the publication of Hillsborough Independent Panel report in September 2012 , he finally decided to act . Mr Davis said he contacted relatives of those who died via the Hillsborough Family Support Group and also agreed to talk about the meeting for a BBC Panorama programme the following year . Referring to what he heard at the briefing , on April 17 1989 , Mr Davis said he was left ‘ more perplexed ’ than ‘ outraged ’ because it seemed very early to come to a ‘ decisive , definitive conclusion ’ about what had happened . Cross-examined by Chris Daw QC , representing retired Chief Superintendents Terry Wain and Donald Denton , Mr Davis was accused of telling ‘ bare-faced lies. ’ But he remained adamant the meeting happened and that he had no problem saying so on oath . The hearing continues . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .
Former officer tells inquest police chief said they were to 'blame the fans ' Clive Davis says officers were told this by Chief Superintendent Terry Wain . Claimed they were ordered to look for beer cans at the side of a motorway . Added they were told to talk to locals about the behaviour of supporters . Told the inquest a meeting of officers took place two days after tragedy . But senior officers disputed that the meeting was ever held in April 1989 . New inquests are taking place into the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans . They died in a crush at Hillsborough stadium during the FA Cup semi-final .