Fight goes on for Bromsgrove Hillsborough victim

Buy photos »

THE SISTER of Bromsgrove Hillsborough victim Andrew Brookes has spoken to two of the men who tried to save him, for the first time since the incident 23 years ago.

Louise Brookes had been trying to track them down since 1997 to thank them for what they tried to do, after seeing photographs of the pair carrying her brother’s stretcher.

But only last week they got in touch and both told her they thought Andrew had survived.

The two men, Graeme Fairchild and Steven Woods, from Exeter, revealed to Ms Brookes they found Andrew on the pitch outside the collapsed Leppings Lane terrace after 4pm and he was definitely still alive at 4.20pm. They carried him across the pitch where they were told to put him down by police as he had stopped breathing.

Graeme told Louise “I always believed he had made it.”

The original coroner said all 96 victims were beyond help after 3.15pm. However Dr Brian Kirkupp of the Hillsborough Independent Panel told Ms Brookes on September 12 that Andrew and 15 others had functioning heart and lungs after that time and could have survived with medical attention.

Dr Kirkupp added 28 others had no restriction of blood flow and could have also been saved and in total 41 could have lived.

Ms Brookes said: “September 12 was my darkest day in all of the 23 years.

“It has affected me more now than it did in 1989.

“I was dumbfounded to hear 41 could have been saved - my mum would have been devastated to hear that.

“People were collapsing all around me. I am finding it very very difficult to know he could have been living today.

“All I keep thinking about is my mum.”

The Bromsgrove resident and former police worker also said the officer who carried out a Police National Computer check on her brother had no credible reason and should have been sacked.

“My Brother had a ticket, he wasn’t drunk and the only fighting he did that day, was to fight for his life.”

Ms Brookes added she now wanted people brought to account and a death certificate with manslaughter on.

“It feels like he only died last week. It’s all I think about every day.

“I don’t sleep much and it plays on my mind constantly. I can’t rest now until Andrew gets the justice he and the other 95 deserve”

“I am just sorry my mum never lived to hear the panel’s findings.

“We discussed Hillsborough at length and she always knew something wasn’t right. I always had her full support”.

“I know she would be behind me 200 per cent in my continued fight.

“The priority now is getting justice for my brother. He was a very fair and honest person. His name has been tarnished for 23 years.

“It’s the least I can do for both Andrew and for my mum too. What kind of sister would I be to just sit back and do nothing?”

Regional news »