From the North - Anne Williams: the campaigner who embodied the inspirational Hillsborough mums

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The daughter of the late Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams says a new TV drama about her mother has opened her eyes to what she went through. 

Anne, from Formby, Merseyside, always refused to believe her son Kevin, 15, died as a result of an accident. 

The four-part programme, which begins on ITV on Sunday 2nd January 2020 at 9pm, documents her fight to uncover the truth.

Anne Williams was a campaigner for the victims of the Hillsborough Disaster of 1989. Credit: PA

Daughter Sara Williams told Granada Reports how the programme surprised her.

"I'd lived it. But seeing on screen what we actually went through as the family...it was an eye-opener, even though we knew the story", explains Sara.

Award-winning actor and writer Maxine Peake takes the lead role of Anne, who refused to accept the coroner's original verdict that Kevin's death was accidental.

The daughter of Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams, Sara.

The real-life drama tells the story of how Anne was determined to unearth the truth about what happened at Hillsborough.  

She found witnesses, gained medical opinions from top doctors and launched numerous legal challenges.

Anne died in 2013 before new inquests concluded that those who died were unlawfully killed.

Maxine said: "What an amazing woman Anne was. [It's important] that we never forget Hillsborough because unfortunately this kind of situation isn't a thing of the past"

Anne was filmed at many of the real locations in Liverpool and at the scene of the tragedy in Sheffield.

Author Kevin Sampson, who was there as a fan on the day of the disaster in 1989, met Anne while writing his book Hillsborough Voices.

ITV Granada Reports correspondent Andy Bonner reports.

He said Anne's story embodies the "admirable and inspirational" people in the Hillsborough tale.

He told Granada Reports how she gave her blessing for the programme and described it as a story of a mother's love being stronger than any obstacle.

Kevin said" "The pressure to get it right is monumental. It's without doubt the most challenging and difficult project I have ever taken on."

  • The mini series, which will be brought to screens by the creators of Line of Duty, will air for four consecutive evenings on ITV, commencing on 2 January at 9:00pm.