Man Charged With Public Order Offence For Wearing T-Shirt Mocking Hillsborough Victims

A man has been charged with a public order offence after wearing a T-shirt mocking the victims of the Hillsborough disaster to a pub in Worcester.

Paul Grange, 50, has been charged by West Mercia police with displaying threatening and abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. His T-shirt read: "Hillsborough, Gods [sic] way of helping Rentokill," a reference to the British pest control business.

West Mercia police launched an investigation on Sunday after Grange was spotted by other drinkers at a pub called the Brewers Arms. Several people then circulated photographs of the T-shirt on social media. Grange has been bailed to appear at Worcester magistrates court in July.

What kind of person wears a t shirt that blatantly mocks Hillsborough in public. Spotted today in Worcester. pic.twitter.com/17qCzoiG3d
— John (@Johnglfc) May 29, 2016

Grange was asked to leave by the landlord, while members of the public then reported the incident to the police.

As reported by the Guardian, superintendent Kevin Purcell has said: "I understand the alarm and distress the offensive language shown on this T-shirt will have caused to both the people in and around the pub, and [those] further afield.

"I would like to thank the landlord of the pub for his support and all the members of the public who were in the pub at the time and came forward to report it."

The Hillsborough disaster claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans. In April, an inquest ruled that they were unlawfully killed as a result of police action and a series of grievous mistakes on the day.