South Yorkshire Police Federation calls Battle of Orgreave inquiry 'costly' when force is 'at breaking point’

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced an independent inquiry into the events of the Battle of Orgreave, where thousands of police officers clashed with striking miners in one of the most violent episodes of the 1984-85 miners' strike.

It comes after 13 years of pressure from the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, who have repeatedly asked for an official investigation into the police’s conduct on June 18, 1984.

The inquiry will be chaired by the Bishop of Sheffield, Pete Wilcox, and is expected to begin this autumn.

And while many have praised the announcement, which aims to bring a close to a 40-year-old injustice, a representative from the South Yorkshire Police Federation has said it comes at a time when there is not enough money to handle regular policing duties.

South Yorkshire Police Federation chair Steve Kent said: "Policing across South Yorkshire is at breaking point – courageous colleagues are out there keeping the public safe struggling with what feels like one arm tied behind their backs as government cutbacks to the service hit home.

"We note today that the Home Secretary has announced a public inquiry into operational policing actions of more than 40 years ago in Orgreave.

"This will be long and protracted – and the associated costs of this inquiry will lead to there being even less money in the policing purse, which will only have a negative impact on the public of South Yorkshire.

"Whilst the federation continues to support serving police officers today – many of whom were not born 41 years ago – we will also be providing support to our retired colleagues during any upcoming proceedings."

During the events outside the Orgreave Coking Plant in 1984, 120 people were injured, while 95 picketers were arrested.

Of those, 40 were charged with unlawful assembly, while 55 were charged with riot – an offence that could carry a life sentence at the time.

All charges were later dropped and no one faced prosecution.

The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign says the inquiry should give clear answers to:

- “Who was responsible for organising and ordering the deployment of multiple police forces, including mounted police armed with truncheons, shields and dogs, against striking miners?

- Who and how was it decided that striking miners should be attacked and arrested at Orgreave and charged with riot and unlawful assembly, which carried heavy prison sentences?

- Why has the police operational order for police deployments that day disappeared and other evidence been destroyed or embargoed until 2066 and 2071?

Campaign group secretary, Kate Flannery, said: “We have waited a long time for this day and this is really positive news.

“All these years of hard work by the OTJC and our many supporters has helped to influence this constructive announcement.

“We appreciate the Labour Party’s nine year commitment to holding some kind of Orgreave inquiry. We now need to be satisfied that the inquiry is given the necessary powers to fully investigate all the aspects of the orchestrated policing at Orgreave, and have unrestricted access to all relevant information including government, police and media documents, photos and films.”

Kevin Horne, a miner arrested at Orgreave said: “It is now over 41 years since a paramilitary style police operation was planned at Orgreave and it is important to remember that some of the miners attacked and arrested there are now dead and many others are old and ill.

“We need a quick and thorough inquiry with a tight timescale so that surviving miners can at last obtain the truth and justice they have been waiting for. Plenty of information exists and has already been obtained to give an inquiry a substantial head start.”

Local MPs have celebrated the Home Secretary’s latest announcement, with Rotherham MP Sarah Champion saying that the investigation is just as important as ever.

She continued: “More than four decades on from Orgreave, some have questioned the need for such an inquiry. I would invite them to speak to my constituents in Rotherham, for whom it remains an open wound.

“Those who were at Orgreave deserve acknowledgement that the smears levelled at them in the years since were just that.

“A lingering distrust continues to cast a shadow over relations between the South Yorkshire Police and the community it serves. This cannot be rebuilt until the full story is brought into the light.

“Above all, my constituents deserve to know the truth about their police force.”

Rawmarsh and Conisbrough MP, John Healey – who is also Secretary of State for Defence – said: “This is a historic moment for former miners and their families locally who have campaigned tirelessly for an inquiry into what happened at Orgreave 41 years ago.

“Events from that day caused decades of damage to our community and I’m pleased that this government is delivering on its promise to uncover the truth and deliver justice for all those involved.

“The announcement today is long overdue and I’m proud that our Labour government is taking action after years of Conservative failure and inaction.”