Families of supporters involved in the Hillsborough tragedy are to sue South Yorkshire and West Midlands police forces for a sum of £19m.

Following a two-year period of evidence at inquests in Warrington, it was announced on Tuesday that a jury had ruled the 96 fans who died in a crush at the Sheffield stadium in 1989 were unlawfully killed.

Now, relatives of the deceased are seeking damages from the two forces that previously claimed the behaviour of the fans had played a defining role in the loss of lives.

Saunders Law, a London-based legal firm, will coordinate the action and senior partner James Saunders told Sky News: "There is evidence of a systematic cover-up intended to transfer the blame for what happened from South Yorkshire Police to the innocent by spreading lies, doctoring evidence, pressurising witnesses and suppressing the truth.

"The evidence points to abuse on an industrial scale by both South Yorkshire and West Midlands Police beyond any one bad apple analysis.

"In addition to actions by individuals the evidence suggests institutional misfeasance by these bodies directed against our clients and the fans generally."

Yesterday, South Yorkshire Police chief constable David Crompton was suspended in the wake of the ruling.