THE 96 people who died in the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster were victims of “unlawful killing,” an inquest jury ruled yesterday.

Immediate calls have now been made for South Yorkshire police chiefs involved in the tragedy to be held to account as the longest jury case in British legal history came to a close. The jurors found unanimously that policing of the match caused or contributed to a dangerous situation developing at the Leppings Lane turnstiles.

Commanding officers also caused or contributed to the crush on the terrace, the jury decided, as did senior officers in the police control box.

Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield was found “responsible for manslaughter by gross negligence” due to a breach of his duty of care.

And the ambulance service was also found to have caused or contributed to the loss of lives in the disaster.

Families who have been fighting for justice for their loved ones for 27 years wept as the verdict was read out by a tearful jury forewoman, with one family member shouting: “God bless the jury.”

The disaster took place on April 15 1989, when Liverpool FC was due to play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium.

Police opened gates and directed 2,000 Liverpool fans into the already-packed Leppings Lane end of the ground, causing the crush which killed 96 and injured 766.

There were delays in getting ambulances into the ground as Liverpool fans lay dying on the pitch.

The deaths were originally ruled accidental at a 1991 inquest. But that verdict was quashed following the 2012 Hillsborough Independent Panel report, which concluded that a cover-up had taken place in an effort by police and others to avoid blame.

Hillsborough Family Support Group chairwoman Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James was killed, said: “Let’s be honest about this, people were against us.

“We had the media against us, as well as the Establishment.

“Everything was against us. The only people that weren’t against us was our own city. That’s why I am so grateful to my city and so proud of my city.”

Calls to hold those to blame accountable came from MPs including shadow home secretary Andy Burnham.

He said: “This has been the greatest miscarriage of justice of our times. For 27 years, this police force has consistently put protecting itself above protecting those hurt by the horror of Hillsborough.

“People must be held to account for their actions and prosecutions must now follow.”

Labour MP for Liverpool Walton Steve Rotheram was at Hillsborough and saw the disaster unfold.

“Justice has been served by the verdicts. Now it is time for accountability.”

And Unite general secretary Len McCluskey was also at Hillsborough when the disaster occured.

He said: “Instead of being allowed to focus on grieving for their loved ones, these families had to fight back against vile allegations of blame. Now it is time for those responsible for Britain’s worst ever stadium disaster to be held accountable and justice truly to be done.”

Mr McCluskey also praised the Hillsborough families’ “tenacity, dignity and solidarity.”

The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, which wants a public inquiry into the police attack on striking miners in South Yorkshire in June 1984, said the verdict would spur their own fight for justice.

South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable David Crompton said his force “unequivocally” accepted the verdict of unlawful killing, and apologised to the Hillsborough families.