Liverpool - The Hillsborough Family Support Group has accepted an apology from a leading judge over a controversial off-the-cuff comment.
The Court of Appeal judge, Lord Justice Stuart-Smith, arrived at Liverpool Maritime Museum yesterday morning and asked Mr Phil Hammond, whose teenage son Philip died at Hillsborough seven years ago: "Have you got a few of your people or are they like the Liverpool fans - turn up at the last minute?"
Families affected by the tragedy were incensed, especially as the remark came from the man with the job of carrying out a "focused scrutiny" of the April 1989 disaster at the Sheffield Wednesday ground in which 96 soccer fans died.
Judge Stuart-Smith's Liverpool visit was part of the renewed investigation ordered by the Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, in June.
The 69-year-old judge has since apologised to Mr Hammond, said a Home Office spokeswoman.