Millionaire Ukip donor complains he's "sick to death" of hearing about Hillsborough
Get politics updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
A millionaire Ukip donor has provoked anger by complaining he is "sick to death" of hearing about the Hillsborough disaster.
Arron Banks branded the 1989 stadium crush an "accident" that people are "milking" as he stormed into the row over false claims about it on Ukip leader Paul Nuttall's website.
The "accident" claim is false. Last year, after nearly three decades of campaigning, an inquest jury ruled the 96 victims died by unlawful killing not an accident.
Responses on Twitter included “dude! Wtf?”, “don’t you dare” and “come on mate - thousands lost loved ones”.
Another Twitter user said: "It was a completely preventable disaster caused by gross neglience that resulted in 96 people unlawfully killed. Actually.”
The row began when Mirror columnist Brian Reade tweeted about the false claim that Ukip leader Paul Nuttall lost "close personal friends" in the disaster.
The claim was made in two separate quotes in his name, on his website - but a press officer says she was responsible.
Mr Banks told the columnist on Twitter: "I'm sick to death of hearing about it. It was a disaster and that's it, not some sort of cultural happening."
Mr Reade replied: "Sorry you're sick to death hearing about 96 deaths. And 'some sort of cultural happening' eh? There's UKIP in all its ugliness."
But Mr Banks pressed on, saying: "No milking a tragedy forever is sick."
Mr Reade replied: "Unlawful Killing verdicts after 27 years state cover-up equates to milking it eh? Oh dear. Sad sad little man."
To which Mr Banks added: "It was an awful accident at a football ground, that's it... Cover up or otherwise."
(Photo: Getty)
Conservative pundit Tim Montgomerie accused Mr Banks of "attacking those who suffered at Hillsborough".
Twitter user Jane Brownlee added: "That's the spirit. When in a hole, keep digging."
But Mr Banks stood by his remarks, saying: "If a policeman making a mistake is unlawful killing so be it, he made the wrong decision but it's still an accident."