Hillsborough inquests to go ahead next year but police may not cooperate The coroner promised that they would seek to expose "any culpable or discreditable conduct" and vowed that proceedings would be transparent. The High Court quashed the accidental death verdicts recorded at the original inquests in December, paving the way for a jury to find that the victims had been killed through negligence. Dominic Grieve, the Attorney General, applied for the discredited verdicts to be set aside after an independent report into the 1989 tragedy they were based on misleading evidence and mistaken medical assumptions. Several relatives who travelled to London for the pre-inquest hearing loudly expressed their disgust when Mr Greaney made his submissions. The barrister acknowledged that it was an "unpopular and minority" request but pointed out that inquests were not normally held whilst criminal inquiries were under way. He said anyone under investigation could refuse to answer questions for fear of self-incrimination and that it would be wrong to hold an inquest on a "partial and possibly flawed basis." The Independent Police Complaints Commission is conducting one investigation and a separate criminal inquiry is being led by Jon Stoddart, the former Chief Constable of Durham. Misleading findings by the original coroner included the assumption that nothing could have been done to save fans after a cut - off period of 3.15pm on the day of the disaster. The coroner ruled that all the victims must have suffered fatal injuries during the first 15 minutes after kick - off and refused to hear evidence about the response of the emergency services after that time. But last year's report found that as many as 41 fans were showing signs of life after that point and that there was "ample evidence to suggest that the 3.15pm cut-off was seriously flawed." Fresh hearings would disclose for the first time how each victim died and hear details of the chaotic rescue attempts following the crush at Sheffield Wednesday's ground during an FA cup semi - final clash between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. They will fully examine the roles of the police and emergency services in the light of new evidence and could lead to verdicts of unlawful killing. The original hearing was held in Sheffield but the families of the 96 football fans who died want the new inquests to be held in either London or the North West as they say Sheffield had lost its credibility. Michael Mansfield QC, who represents 71 families, called for the inquests to be held in the capital, suggesting that Westminster's Central Hall would be ideal as it had housed previous inquiries such as the Bloody Sunday hearing when it sat in London. "What was of interest was a genuine desire to locate somewhere that was above any suggestion of bias particularly one way or the other," he said. However, Pete Weatherby QC, who represents around 17 families, said his clients wanted the inquests held in the North of England. "In terms of venue, the families I represent are vehemently against the inquests being held more than 200 miles from their homes," he told the coroner. We say, in essence, that the inquests should be held as close as reasonably possible to where the bereaved families live. If the inquests are to be held far away from where the bereaved families live, they will be deprived to some extent from engaging with the proceedings. He said some will find the process "traumatic" and will want to "return to the heart of their support network at the end of each day." A recent change to the Coroners Act allows inquests to be held anywhere in England and Wales, if it is in the best interests of the bereaved family and others, such as witnesses. Previous rules stated that inquests must be heard in the coroner's district nearest to where the deaths took place, rather than where the victims lived. Last year's long-awaited report into the disaster also found that the police and other authorities had sought to shift the blame for the disaster and engaged in a widespread cover - up, including altering police witness statements and smearing fans by suggesting they had been drunk. David Cameron subsequently apologised to the families of the dead on behalf of the country. Steve Smith, of the Police Federation of England and Wales said after Thursday's pre-inquest hearing: "We all want justice to be done. it is not that police officers do not want to give evidence to the inquest but we do have concerns that any possible criminal prosecutions in the future will be prejudiced by an early inquest which puts officers in an invidious position. Either they answer questions and rehearse their defence in ignorance of the case against them or they face criticism for remaining silent and run the risk that the tribunal of fact at the Inquests will draw an inference adverse to them.