Hillsborough referee claims his statement was altered to support police agenda

The match referee at Hillsborough on the day of the disaster has claimed his statement was changed to support allegations fans were drunk.

ITV documentary Hillsborough: 'Smears, Survivors and the Search for Truth' airing tonight at 10.40pm will reveal the statement of referee Ray Lewis was allegedly changed to describe fans as drunk.

Mr Lewis, the referee on the pitch on April 15 1989, said he had described "mixed" groups of fans in his statement, but when he later saw a typed version of it he realised the word had been changed.

He told us he believes it was changed to support the police's agenda.

The programme will also reveal that former Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards included allegations of bad behaviour of fans in his statement about the tragedy.

In his statement, Sir Dave, who went on to become chairman of Sheffield Wednesday after the disaster at the club's stadium, described fans shouting lewd comments about a female casualty whose blouse had become unbuttoned.

The allegations were also reported in The Sun newspaper.

Programme makers, who say Sir Dave's description of the apparently dead woman does not match any of the seven women killed in the tragedy, said when they wrote to ask him about his statement their letters were returned unopened.

The programme's investigations revealed a witness who reported the same allegations to police was the daughter of a South Yorkshire Police chief inspector who had been on duty at the FA Cup semi-final.

Cherry Daniels, whose father is retired officer David Sumner, told programme makers she informed investigating force West Midlands Police about her father's position but was told it was not relevant.

In April this year an inquests jury found the 96 victims were unlawfully killed and fans were not to blame.

Two investigations into the disaster, Operation Resolve and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) inquiry, are due to hand files to the Crown Prosecution Service at the turn of the year.