FORMER police chief Sir Norman Bettison has told a jury he was not involved in a "black propaganda unit" to put the blame for the Hillsborough disaster on Liverpool fans.

Bromsgrove man Andrew Brookes was one of 96 fans who died at the Hillsborough stadium that staged the FA Cup semi final match in April 1989.

The original verdicts of accidental death were quashed in the High Court in 2012, following a campaign by the victim's families, including Andrew's sister Louise, who has been attending the new Warrington inquest.

At the inquest Sir Bettison, the ex-chief constable of Merseyside and West Yorkshire police forces, said "nothing about Hillsborough embarrasses me".

He responded to questions at the inquests into the deaths of the fans as to why he did not mention Hillsborough in his application form or during an interview for the top post at Merseyside Police in 1998.

Sir Bettison explained he felt "no opportunity" arose to provide that information.

He served as a chief inspector with South Yorkshire Police at the time of the tragedy at Sheffield Wednesday's ground, but he had no involvement in policing the game and was only there as a spectator.

But he was accused of being part of a cover-up years later after the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report.

The jury heard he was part of a team that gathered evidence for South Yorkshire Police's response to the tragedy for the subsequent Taylor Inquiry - a team allegedly ordered to place the blame on Liverpool fans.

When interviewed for the chief constable post he did not mention the disaster when asked by a selection panel what was the incident he would most like to forget in his career, the jury heard.

He later told Merseyside police authority members he had interpreted the question as what his "most embarrassing" moment was, not the "most traumatic".

Sir Bettison said: "Nothing about Hillsborough embarrasses me. I did not think of Hillsborough when the question was posed."

Peter Wilcock QC, representing 75 bereaved families, suggested to him he omitted the information because of his involvement in blaming the fans.

Sir Bettison replied: "I am not embarrassed by the issue. I was not involved in a black propaganda unit to put the blame on fans."

Paul Greaney QC, representing the Police Federation, said: "You appreciate that your application to the role led to it generating strong feelings on the part of the bereaved families?"

Sir Bettison answered: "I genuinely did not anticipate that but I did understand it immediately."

He explained by the time he applied to Merseyside he had five years of experience as an assistant chief constable at West Yorkshire Police and had "many many" examples of senior command work.

Mr Greaney asked: "Did it even occur to you mention, given your substantial senior command experience you had by 1998, experiences that you had as a much more junior officer?"

"No it did not," Sir Bettison replied.

Mr Greaney continued: "Is that one important reason why you did not mention your role in the Wain team (the 1989 evidence gathering team) in that application?"

Sir Bettison said: "It was a very significant reason."

The witness went on to say he had not been criticised for his role at Hillsborough at that point.

Mr Greaney asked: "Did you deliberately conceal your role in the aftermath of Hillsborough from the selection panel or from anyone else concerning your appointment?"

Sir Bettison said: "No, I didn't then and I never would."