FORMER Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was told a senior Merseyside Police officer blamed "drunken Liverpool fans" for the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, according to leaked Government papers.

The documents show that, four days after the tragedy, a member of Mrs Thatcher's policy unit met senior Merseyside officers who told her large numbers of Liverpool fans without tickets had been a "key factor" in what happened.

Ninety-six fans died after a crush on the overcrowded terraces at the stadium in Sheffield, where Liverpool were due to play an FA Cup tie in April 1989.

There was anger after South Yorkshire Police, who policed the game, blamed many Liverpool fans for what happened.

However, the papers suggest that view was shared by their Merseyside colleagues.

They include a note addressed to Mrs Thatcher dated April 20, 1989, headed: "Merseyside Police views on Hillsborough" and marked "Confidential". It contains an account of a meeting between the policy unit adviser and the then Merseyside chief constable, Sir Kenneth Oxford, and other senior officers.

According to the note, Sir Kenneth said: "A key factor in causing the disaster was the fact large numbers of Liverpool fans had turned up without tickets.

"This was getting lost sight of in attempts to blame the police, the football authorities, etc."

Another officer – who was not named – was said to have directly blamed the supporters.

The note said: "One officer, born and bred in Liverpool, said that he was deeply ashamed to say that it was drunken Liverpool fans who had caused this disaster, just as they had caused the deaths at Heysel."

Thirty-nine died at Belgium's Heysel Stadium when Liverpool supporters charged Juventus fans before the 1985 European Cup Final.

Sir Kenneth, who died in 1998, was also said to be concerned at how Liverpool's ground had been turned into a "shrine" by grieving fans.

The note said: "He deplored the press's morbid concentration on pictures of bodies. He was also uneasy about the way in which Anfield was being turned into a shrine."

It is initialled "MT", suggesting it was read by Mrs Thatcher, and the phrase "drunken Liverpool fans" is one of many passages underlined by hand.

The BBC programme that uncovered the papers said none of the ones it had seen referred to the views of the South Yorkshire force. The Hillsborough Independent Panel is reviewing the official papers relating to the disaster with a view to their eventual release this year.

Families of the victims reacted angrily.

Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died and who now chairs the Hillsborough Families Support Group, branded the comments a "disgrace".

She said: "They watched videos of what happened that day and they (have seen) survivors running along with bodies and maybe people who may be still alive on hoardings. They were the heroes that day.

"I find all of that absolutely appalling. Ninety-six lives and he was uneasy about it made into a shrine.

"The people needed somewhere to go to show respect and to be grateful that no more had died. He was ashamed that was made into a shrine. How appalling is that?"

Sheila Coleman, of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, said: "Those of us who were around Liverpool in the 1980s are well aware of Ken Oxford's racist and bigoted views. Presumably he recruited senior officers with a similar mindset."

She expressed concern at the leak's timing and the fact none of the papers related to the South Yorkshire force. She said: "That makes us very suspicious of how this information was leaked."