A SURVIVOR of the Hillsborough disaster from Burnley is helping to fight for justice for the 96 victims who died in Britain's worst ever sporting disaster.
Christopher Whittle, of Beckenham Court, is backing the Hope for Hillsborough campaign, run by Anne Williams, whose 15-year-old son Kevin died during the FA Cup semi-final between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool on April 15, 1989.
The campaign runs a charity, For Justice, which is trying to persuade the Attorney General to send Kevin's case back to the Divisional Court for a new inquest.
Christopher will swim 50 lengths of the pool, just under a mile, at Pendle Wavelengths, in Nelson, on September 29, for the charity.
In all 94 Liverpool fans were crushed to death and hundreds injured at Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield after police crowd control measures failed; two fans died later from their injuries.
Lifelong Reds fan Christopher, 49, went to the match with his friends, who were season ticket holders.
Supply teaching assistant Christopher, who was 28 at the time, said: “We walked up to the ground at 2.15pm and the crowd started to bottleneck in Leppings Lane."
Christopher said he was pressed up against the fencing by the weight of the crowd behind him.
Describing the crush, he said: “The pain was so intense.”
Christopher had chest, rib and back injuries and has also endured years of nightmares and anxiety caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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