Orgreave public inquiry legal bid launched

The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) has sent an 86-page legal submission to home secretary Theresa May after she indicated her willingness to consider an inquiry request.

It followed the decision in June by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) decision not to conduct a full investigation into the 1984 clashes between police and striking miners.

Unite industrial organiser Joe Rollin said the events of June 18 that year and the resulting arrests of pickets had left “a legacy of mistrust within mining communities of the police”.

The OTJC legal submission was prepared voluntarily by four barristers, including Michael Mansfield QC and Gareth Pierce, both of whom represented miners at the original trial.

“We have worked closely with the legal team and I’m very proud of everyone involved,” said Joe.

“There is some quite sensitive material within our submission but in addition to written testimonies we have also included lots of photographs to back up each section.”