FOR the first time since 96 people died at an FA Cup semi-final match 27 years ago, the families of the victims have seen some measure of justice done.

There is, however, a long way to go before some of the individuals and organisations found culpable for the terrible events at Hillsborough face criminal justice.

Senior police officers led a deliberate campaign to blame dead fans for the tragedy. They doctored notes, leaked smear stories to newspapers and even did criminal background checks on the dead.

If the Hillsborough families are to have true closure, the police must be held to account for their actions, both during the disaster and afterwards. They caused untold anguish to the families of the dead and they refused to confess to their lies for almost 30 years.

Operation Resolve, the criminal investigation into the events at Hillsborough, is being led by the former Chief Constable of Durham Police, Jon Stoddart.

Yesterday the Independent Police Complaints Commission indicated that charges are set to follow the damning verdicts delivered by the inquest jury.

The families deserve nothing less.

In reaching a verdict of unlawful killing, the jury found that the match commander, Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield, was in breach of his duty of care to the spectators and that his actions amounted to gross negligence.

Just as importantly for the families, the jury also ruled that the behaviour of the fans - so terribly maligned in the immediate aftermath of the disaster by police seeking to shift the blame - did not cause or contribute to what happened.

That decision means the people who died can now be remembered for what they were on that day: innocent football fans whose only mistake was to attend the wrong match in the wrong stadium.

Today their families can finally put the blame behind them - if not the hurt.