Orgreave inquiry launches to 'establish the truth'

An independent inquiry has launched into one of the bloodiest days of the 1980s Miners' Strike, with its chair pledging to "establish the truth".

It will look into the conflict that became known as the Battle of Orgreave, when police officers and miners clashed outside a coking plant in Rotherham.

The inquiry will investigate events before, during and after Monday 18 June 1984, a pivotal moment in the 1984–85 Miners' Strike.

Bishop of Sheffield the Rt Rev Dr Pete Wilcox is chairing the inquiry, and said he wanted to "help resolve a trauma that persists to this day".

The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign said it was "disappointed" it had taken so long to get to this stage, but was "relieved" work would now begin.

The inquiry will examine how police and government planned the policing of the demonstration, events on the day and the lasting impact, and decisions to charge and prosecute following arrests made at Orgreave.

It has full statutory powers to compel witnesses and require the disclosure of evidence and will operate entirely independent of government and any other public body.

The chair will be supported by a four-person panel which is expected to report by spring 2028.

Violence arose between police and picketing miners during the Battle of Orgreave, resulting in 120 injuries.

At the time, 95 picketers were arrested and charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after evidence was discredited.

Wilcox said: "In chairing the inquiry, I wish to help resolve a trauma that persists to this day - for the miners who were injured, who were arrested, who feel their story has not yet been fully told.

"For their families and communities, and for the relationship between police and the mining community.

"While policing has changed significantly since 1984, serious questions about the specific events at Orgreave remain unanswered.

"Many who were present have waited most of their lives for a process that listens to them."

South Yorkshire Police previously said it would "fully cooperate with the inquiry in a bid to help those affected find answers".

The government agreed to an inquiry last year, saying those affected by the confrontation had been left with "unanswered questions for over 40 years".

Chris Hockney, chair of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, said: "It is important that due to the age and health of many miners we quickly secure a public acknowledgement of why and what the state did to the miners and our communities.

"We have to have hope that an inquiry of full disclosure should influence the future behaviour of the state and public officials and that the inquiry panel and resources committed to this inquiry will establish truth and justice."

Kate Flannery, secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, said: "We need to know how police officers on the ground were briefed and how that briefing came about.

"We need government and police papers releasing that have been embargoed until 2066 and 2071.

"The police have recently still been destroying vital evidence needed for this inquiry.

"This is of great public interest and concern and is about a government who actively worked against its own population and handed the police paramilitary powers and destroyed an industry in the process."

Steve Brunt, a former miner at Arkwright Colliery in Derbyshire, who organised groups of pickets and accompanied them to sites such as Orgreave during the strike, said the news of the inquiry getting under way was "absolutely wonderful".

He said he had experienced "absolute fear and mayhem" at Orgreave in June 1984.

"It was frightening, to say the least. I have never ever seen that," he said.

"I couldn't understand, being a citizen of this country, to see the state apparatus that was turned on us that particular day to pulverise us.

"That's what they did and that's got to come out."

He added that he hoped the authorities would learn lessons from what was likely to emerge from the inquiry.

Policing minister Sarah Jones said the inquiry was "a chance to get to the truth".

Speaking on BBC Radio Sheffield, she said: "I have had the privilege of meeting people who were there on the day and bear the psychological scars and trauma, but also that overwhelming sense they haven't been listened to, they haven't been believed and that justice hasn't been done.

"Through this inquiry, we have a chance to get to the truth. We hope this is going to be done in a couple of years as opposed to the many years that some inquiries seem to take.

"Sadly, people have passed away since 1984 and more people will before we get to the end of this, so we are also keen to make sure those answers are given as quickly as we can."

The Orgreave inquiry panel comprises:

• Wendy Williams, a former chief prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service and a former Inspector in His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
• Dr Angela Sutton-Vane, an expert in historical records
• Baroness Mary Bousted, a former senior trade union leader
• Dr Joanna Gilmore, a senior lecturer in law at the University of York.

A formal update on progress will be provided to the Home Secretary by spring 2027.

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