Councillors back calls for Hillsborough police chief to be stripped of knighthood

Councillors back calls for Hillsborough police chief to be stripped of knighthood

Councillors in Knowsley have tonight in favour of a motion calling for Sir Noman Bettison to be stripped of his knighthood following the findings of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The investigation looked into the circumstances surrounding his application for the post of Chief Constable of Merseyside in 1998. It concluded that, had he still been serving, he would have had a case to answer for gross misconduct relating to deliberate dishonesty about his involvement in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster during the application process.

At the meeting of Knowsley Council on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, Cllr Jayne Lonergan put forward a Notice of Motion asking the Chief Executive of Knowsley Council to write to the Cabinet Office to ask for Sir Norman Bettison's knighthood to be withdrawn in light of these findings - and to consider options to remove his police pension.

The motion was seconded by Cllr Harry Bell and unanimously agreed by members present.