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Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Miners 'elated' after long and 'painful' battle to get justice with Battle of Orgreave inquiry
The UK Government has announced there will be an inquiry into the famed Battle of Orgreave, to the huge relief of miners who have spent 41 years demanding justice An inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave 41 years ago will finally be launched, with miners saying they now have hope 'the truth will come out in our lifetime'. Miners said they were left 'overwhelmed' and 'elated' with this victory after a long and hard fight for justice. The Battle of Orgreave was one of the bloodiest clashes in the history of industrial disputes which saw miners savagely battered by an army of police. The miners said they were thrilled the public will hear the truth about the most violent clashes in the year-long strike. Picketers were hit with truncheons and fled police mounted on horses in terror at the Orgreave Coking Plant in the hot summer's day of June 18, 1984. The late Queen Elizabeth is said to have described footage of officers charging into miners as "awful" - but in 2016 the Tories rejected pleas for a probe. The investigation announced by the Home Office today and set to launch in the autumn will look at the events surrounding the clashes which caused 120 injuries. In total, 95 picketers were arrested and initially charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after evidence was discredited. Campaigners welcomed the Labour government's decision - but said it was important to remember the miners who had died before the historic announcement. Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign Secretary (OTJC), Kate Flannery, told The Mirror: 'We've waited 41 years for this and we now need the truth. We need it exposed and we need the public to be told the truth as well.' Miners told The Mirror how they had suffered decades of 'pain' - fearing they would all die before they got justice. Carl Parkinson, now 61, from Brampton in South Yorkshire, was one of the youngest to get 'drop kicked' by a police officer at Orgreave. He was so worried they would never get an inquiry, he had taught his grandchildren, aged 11 to 17, about the miners' strike, so they could carry his fight for him. 'All we want is the truth out there. I was educating all the four grandchildren about the strike just in case we didn't get the inquiry and I died so they could chase it up and carry on. They asked 'was it scar?' and I'd tell them; 'yeh, it were to be honest!' I was a young baby back then, 20 years old and I was the youngest to be set on.' Carl is convinced the 'police officer' dressed in a boiler suit, who attacked him, was 'military'. 'It's been very very painful to be honest, we knew when we went there that something was not right. It wasn't only the way it was policed - it was the aggression of the police. How nobody was killed or seriously injured amazes me. It makes me sad. I just want the truth and freedom from this pain.' He praised The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign and admitted to feeling 'a bit emotional but happy. I did have one or two drinks and might have one or two more after Monday.' Describing what happened, he said as he was in a field when he saw them 'starting to shove' with truncheons coming over their shields, so he turned back. As horses charged, he ran towards some banking with 'this Welsh lad'. But when they got to the top they were trapped, there were brambles and nettles below them and a live railway line. 'We just stood there and looked at each other. I put my hands up and surrendered and this 'policeman' with a boiler suit with no number, drop-kicked me in the chest,' he said. Asked if it hurt, Carl said: 'It was more of a shock than anything else. I thought he was coming towards me to arrest me not attack me. He didn't say a sausage.' 'I was still conscious. Next thing I saw was this Welsh lad who came down face first. We were cut to pieces and then crossed over the railway line.' He said as a result they ended up in the village of Orgreave itself. 'That's where we encountered horses again. I saw some miners beaten with truncheons by police on horseback. As they were on the floor, another element, the snatch squad police were coming up and picking them up and arresting them. 'They forced us to the village so they could get us for rioting. No shadow of a doubt with that. To be a riot and unlawful assembly, it had to be in a public place. The field wasn't but the village was.' 'All we wanted was the right to go to work in a coal mine which not many people wanted to do anyway.' Kate, from OTJC, told The Mirror it was 'important' the inquiry is carried out quickly 'because many miners are no longer around and the ones that are, are quite elderly. Also many of those are ill and this needs to happen in their lifetime'. About hearing the news an inquiry was finally going to be held, she admitted to feeling "overwhelmed" explaining: 'When you've fought so hard and so long for something and it's presented to you it's hard to believe it's true and actually going to happen. "I would say we were all very emotional and still are but now we need to be clear about what it actually means.' She said they welcomed the Home Office promising it will be quick. But she warned police forces not to destroy any documents relating to the miners' strike. 'We need all the secret documents that have been kept under wraps to be made public." She told of her shock when it recently emerged Northumbria police admitted last April they had destroyed miners' documents. It is believed those papers included the notorious footage of the miner being hit by a police officer over the head with a truncheon. 'We feel incredibly anxious about the fact that vital and important information has been destroyed and could be currently destroyed by other police forces. We urge all police forces to keep the information as requested by Yvette Cooper back in 2016.' She said this information, and Government documents, need to be made public so we can find out who "orchestrated it all "and "why they did". Kate, who was a member of Sheffield Women Against Pit Closures during the miners strike, helped launch the campaign 13 years ago. 'All our families worked in coal or steel and we knew what the closure of coal mines meant for the area and industry in Britain. 'We knew the impact it would have on communities if coal mines closed down. We also knew this wasn't about pit closures or uneconomic pits, this was about the Tory Government wanting to destroy trade unions and organised Labour. 'We've been going for 13 years but people have been calling for an Orgreave inquiry since it happened. After hearing the news, she said: 'I was overwhelmed. There are two expressions we used, which were 'cautiously elated' and 'cautiously optimistic.'" Former miner Kevin Horne, who was arrested at Orgreave, said he was 'elated' to hear the news but said it was "important" to remember those who have died before this historic moment. About hearing the news an inquiry was finally going to be held, she admitted to feeling "overwhelmed". 'When you've fought so hard and so long for something and it's presented to you it's hard to believe it's true and actually going to happen,' she said. "I would say we were all very emotional and still are…' She also warned police forces not to destroy any documents relating to the miners' strike. 'We need all the secret documents that have been kept under wraps to be made public." She told of her shock when it recently emerged Northumbria police admitted last April they had destroyed miners' documents. 'We feel incredibly anxious about the fact that vital and important information has been destroyed and could be currently destroyed by other police forces.' She said Government documents need to be released, so they can see who "orchestrated it all". Ex-miner Kevin Horne, who was arrested at Orgreave, said he was 'elated' to hear the news but said it was "important" to remember those who have died before this historic moment. Kevin, 76, from Mexborough in South Yorkshire, said he feared he himself would die, before hearing the news. 'I was getting worried as I get older. I was getting worried I was going to die before I got an inquiry but some have died," he told The Mirror. 'I've got a list of 95 miners arrested and charged that day and some of them have obviously died,' he said. 'I think I've got half a dozen down as passed away,' he said, pointing out that this number may not be up to date. The former miner, however, did praise the Labour Government for finally answering their relentless call for an inquiry by saying: 'Good on them!'. The announcement today delivers on Labour's election manifesto vow to bring the truth "to light". Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'Every community should have confidence in their police, but we know what happened at Orgreave cast a shadow over communities in Yorkshire and other mining areas. "The violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened. 'I pay tribute to the campaigners who never stopped in their search for truth and justice, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as we build an inquiry that gets the answers they and their communities deserve.' The inquiry will have powers to compel witnesses and the release of evidence. It will be led by the Bishop of Sheffield, the Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox. He said he did not "underestimate the weight of expectation or the significance of the task". The National Union of Mineworkers General Secretary, Chris Kitchen, said: 'It is hugely welcome to see this government fulfil its pledge made in the Labour Party manifesto to the mining community…"
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Beloved Actor Announces Decision to Retire From Comedy at 53
Beloved Actor Announces Decision to Retire From Comedy at 53 originally appeared on Parade. Craig Robinson is retiring from comedy. The actor, best known for his roles in The Office and Hot Tub Time Machine, made the official announcement at the end of June on social media. "Life update: I'm officially quitting comedy to focus on my true calling. Stay tuned. I'm working on something huge," he captioned an Instagram video. Some of Robinson's colleagues and fans took to the comments section of the post to react. While some wished Robinson well in whatever it is he chooses to do next, others felt that his video was meant as a joke. "Yeah we ain't failing for that, Doug Judy!" one Instagram user wrote. "I hope it involves Music! You're brilliant at whatever you chose to do," read a message from actor David Arquette. "We love you,,craig!!! Go big, my friend!!!" said actress Kate Flannery. "Long as you ain't becoming a preacher. Best of luck bro," a fourth comment read. Robinson posted another video on Instagram on June 30, asking for tips on running a small business. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 "Turns out having a dream and building a business with your friends are two VERY different things. I can't go into detail just yet, but for real though any help would be huge," he captioned the post. Robinson hasn't elaborated on what he's doing or what his career plans are. Beloved Actor Announces Decision to Retire From Comedy at 53 first appeared on Parade on Jul 4, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor hints at new business venture
Craig Robinson, the actor known for his roles in The Office and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, has announced he is stepping back from his comedy career. He shared a video on Instagram stating he is leaving comedy to pursue "something bigger." Robinson later hinted that his new endeavour involves launching a business, asking for advice from small business owners. Fans have speculated if the announcement is a prank, though his former co-star Kate Flannery offered her well wishes. Robinson has had a distinguished career in acting and comedy, featuring in numerous films and television series. The Office's Craig Robinson announces step back from comedy for 'something bigger'
The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- The Herald Scotland
'I was hospitalised by a flying cone under Edinburgh bridge'
He tells The Herald: "I didn't have a clue what had happened, I put my hand on the back of my head and blood was going everywhere. 'My mate heard the noise and turned round and the cone was right next to me, so someone had clearly thrown it off the George IV bridge. Read More: 'There are loads of cones around there for the Pride parade, someone's just thrown one off and it's cracked me in the head. 'The security in Dropkicks put the gloves on and helped me out, got me some water, and then Street Assist and the police arrived and helped clean me up, the police took statements and then my sister came and picked me up and took me to the Royal Infirmary because the ambulance was going to be eight hours or something. 'I've got staples in my head and I'm getting scans because I can't really turn my head, my neck is completely jiggered. 'I can't work with it, which is kind of an issue. "I'm going to have a five-six centimetre gash across the top of my head, a scar. 'I don't know what my neck is going to be like long-term but I can't hold my head up so I'm sitting on the couch all day with my head resting. 'The four things I do are walk the dog, go to the gym, play golf and then go to work and at the minute I can't do any of them. It's a nightmare, but it could have been a lot worse. 'I'm 6ft 1in, I'm quite big, I think if it was anyone smaller or more frail it would have been a lot worse.' George IV bridge in Edinburgh (Image: Wikimedia) In November 2006 Australian national Andrew Smith threw a cone off the bridge which struck Irish student Kate Flannery, leaving her with a fractured skull and three broken vertebrae as well as damage to her spinal cord, which left her arms and legs paralysed for several months. Following widespread media coverage and appeals by police, he turned himself in and was ordered to carry out community service having shown "genuine remorse". In 2011 an appeal for witnesses was put out after a 10kg bag of sand was hurled from the bridge, and in the same year a student was fined £500 for throwing a cone off the bridge. Mr Ward though says he has struggled to get answers from police about their investigations, with no media appeal issued and no update given to him. He said: "I haven't heard from them. 'I've asked them twice for updates and they haven't got back in touch. I phoned them on Sunday because they wanted to know an exact time for the incident and I obviously didn't really know what was going on at the time but I went back and checked my FitBit and got the exact time of the impact from that. 'I phoned to let them know and they said the person who would be investigating it isn't on until next week. So I sent a big email in on Sunday night to ask if I could be updated by someone to know if they'd been looking at CCTV to find who did it and I've not heard anything back. "I've spoken to two people who used to run a bar on that bridge and they've told the police that something should be done, a netting or something, because it's happening quite a lot. 'There's been a few times where people have thrown stuff but it's not actually hit anyone, but a couple of times people have been hit and it's been more severe than mine, thankfully, was.' A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 1.40am on Saturday, 21 June, 2025, we were called to the Merchant Street area of Edinburgh following a report of a man injured from an item thrown from a bridge. 'Emergency services attended and the man was later taken to hospital. 'Enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances of this incident and anyone with information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 0367 of 21 June, 2025.'
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Northumbria police destroy Battle of Orgreave and other miners' strike files
Police have destroyed documents relating to the Battle of Orgreave in 1984 during the miners' strike, which is the subject of a forthcoming official inquiry. Northumbria police disposed of the papers less than a month before Rishi Sunak called last summer's election, which brought the Labour party into government with a longstanding manifesto pledge to hold an inquiry into the scenes of violent policing at Orgreave. In response to a freedom of information request from Joe Diviney, a PhD researcher at the University of Sheffield, the force said last week: 'We can confirm that two boxes containing documents/records in relation to the miners' strike and Orgreave were destroyed on 29 April 2024 and 30 April 2024. 'These were not moved elsewhere. As part of the records management review process they were destroyed as they were outside of the retention period.' Kate Flannery, the secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC), which has led calls for an official inquiry for a decade, 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.' The violence at the Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire on 18 June 1984, when striking miners were charged by police on horseback and hit over the head by officers carrying truncheons and short shields, is remembered as the landmark confrontation of the bitter, 1984-85 strike. Approximately 8,000 miners assembled for a mass picket of the plant called by the National Union of Mineworkers, and were met by 4,500 police officers from forces nationwide, led by South Yorkshire police. A year later, a criminal prosecution of 95 miners for the offence of riot collapsed after police officers were repeatedly accused of lying by the miners' barristers, and of malpractice including that an officer's signature on a police statement was forged. The OTJC has always pointed to the connection with the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which subsequent inquests found 97 people were unlawfully killed at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, due to gross negligence manslaughter by the South Yorkshire police officer in command, Ch Supt David Duckenfield. After the disaster, the force mounted a false narrative to blame Liverpool supporters, that bereaved families fought for decades to overturn. In 2016, when Yvette Cooper, now home secretary, was chair of the home affairs select committee, Northumbria police's then chief constable, Steve Ashman, confirmed to her that the force held documents relating to the Orgreave operation. They included a superintendent's report on an incident in which a police constable was shown on television news hitting a miner with his truncheon. Northumbria police sent four units, 92 officers in total, to South Yorkshire, Ashman said, and the superintendent had outlined 'the management and logistics' associated with their work, including a timetable of the day at Orgreave starting at 4.50am. One of the OTJC's key aims has long been to see police planning documents, to see if the violent policing was predetermined, or was a response to initial stone-throwing by miners, as the police alleged at the time. Diviney said: 'As a historian, I'm mortified that Northumbria police would destroy evidence that is of vital importance to an inquiry. I'm saddened for the miners and their families who have waited too long for truth and justice. 'It illustrates inherent problems with the police being custodians of their own evidence. And it's another reason to hurry up with an inquiry.' A Northumbria police spokesperson said: 'We can confirm two boxes containing data in relation to the miners' strike were disposed of in April 2024 following a formal review, retain or disposal process in line with force policy and the Data Protection Act 2018.' Labour has promised an Orgreave inquiry since the 2017 general election, and pledged in its 2024 manifesto to 'ensure, through an investigation or inquiry, that the truth about the events at Orgreave comes to light'. Cooper wrote to the OTJC this month before the 41st anniversary of the Orgreave events, saying she was continuing to consider 'the scope and format of an investigation or inquiry', and that 'my officials are working at pace'.
