Northumbria Police destroy documents and records relating to the Miners’ Strike and Orgreave
We have recently become aware that, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Northumbria Police, that in April 2024 Northumbria Police destroyed any remaining papers associated with the miners’ strike and Orgreave.
Kate Flannery, Secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign said:
“This is extremely disturbing news. We are now understandably worried about how many other police forces may have recently destroyed or intend to destroy important information that would be very relevant in an Orgreave inquiry or investigation.”
When Yvette Cooper was shadow Home Secretary and chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) and Alan Billings was the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, information was requested by the HASC to Chief Constables in December 2016, from all police forces, who were involved in the policing at Orgreave, to be submitted to South Yorkshire Police for archiving for a potential inquiry.
In December 2016 the Chief Constable of Northumbria police wrote back to the Chair of the HASC confirming that they held relevant documents and outlined what these documents were.
The Labour Party Manifesto made a commitment to hold an inquiry into Orgreave if elected, something that police forces will have been aware of. Yet in April 2024, before the election in July 2024, Northumbria police force destroyed the documents they had confirmed to the HASC they held.
Kevin Horne, miner arrested at Orgreave on 18th June 1984 said:
“Any argument that documents and records were simply destroyed on the basis of time passed does not make sense given that Northumbria police and other police forces had by April 2024, already kept the documents for nearly 40 years.”
According to the December 2016 letter sent by Northumbria Police to the Chair of the HASC, amongst the documents that have now been destroyed were papers covering the “management and logistics” of the deployment of the Police Special Units in South Yorkshire, a report by a Superintendent regarding the organisation and timetable of 18th June 1984 at the Orgreave coking plant as well as documents relating to the subsequent handling of one of the most violent assaults by a police officer on a miner captured by national television crews.
Chris Peace, activist with the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign said:
“Many, many miners suffered extreme violence at the hands of the police and there was direct and unacceptable interference by the then government into police operational matters throughout the strike. Whilst our campaign is aware of many Home Office, Cabinet papers and minutes from the “secret” MISC101 Committee that are now in the public domain and confirm this, it is of vital importance that the fact of the destruction of these police papers just when we are on the cusp of some kind of inquiry being ordered, is reported widely and questions asked why.”
Ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
For media enquiries:
Email: orgreavejustice@hotmail.com
Email responding to FOI dated 20/6/25 from Northumbria Police added as screenshot.
Link to HASC information received from the Chief Constable of Northumbia Police in December 2016 – Page 10 also added as a screen shot
What we expect from an Orgreave inquiry
https://otjc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ORGREAVE_Leaflet_2022.pdf
Orgreave Report
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