FAMILIES of victims of the Hillsborough disaster last night refused to accept an apology by a national tabloid over the way it reported the tragedy in which 96 Liverpool supporters died.
This morning The Sun - which in 1989 accused fans caught in the terrace crush of urinating on the dead and stealing from bodies - says it is "truly sorry" and that its false allegations were "the most terrible mistake in its history."
Its apology comes in the wake of the angry reaction on Merseyside caused by Everton and England soccer star Wayne Rooney's deal to tell his life story to the newspaper, for a reported £250,000.
Last night Phil Hammond, chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said The Sun's apology was "too little, and 15 years too late."
Mr Hammond, who lost his 14-year-old son Philip in the tragedy, said: "This will not be accepted by me or any of the Hillsborough families.
"They are hiding behind Rooney and it will not make any difference. They think that because they've got a big name on board people in Liverpool will now start to buy the paper, but we're not that stupid.
"They should give the source of the information they used as the basis of that story."
A full page editorial in today's Sun newspaper says: "It is 15 years since The Sun committed the most terrible mistake in its history.
"By making grave and untrue allegations about the behaviour of Liverpool fans during the Hillsborough disaster, we enraged the city.
"But most importantly we tarnished the memory of 96 soccer fans who had tragically lost their lives.
"And our carelessness and thoughtlessness following that blackest of days made the grief of their families and friends even harder to bear.
"We long ago apologised publicly to the victims' families, friends and to the city of Liverpool for our awful error.
"We gladly repeat that apology today: fully, openly, honestly and without reservation."
It continues: "The Sun of 2004 no more deserves to be hated on Merseyside than Wayne Rooney does.
"We cannot believe these protests properly represent the opinions of the majority of men and women in Liverpool.
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