Gerry Marsden apologises for anti-police rant

Veteran singer Gerry Marsden has apologised after several fans stormed out of a gig when he launched into a furious rant against police officers.

The Gerry and the Pacemakers star branded cops "lying b**tards" during a five-minute rant after an official report into the Hillsborough disaster exposed a massive police cover-up.

Some fans were so stunned they walked out of the gig in Darlington on Saturday night and Marsden has now apologised.

His manager, Robert Pratt, denied reports the singer had called cops "pigs", telling the Press Association, "Only two people walked out. I never heard him call them pigs. He did rant about the findings but I never heard him say those things.

"Gerry is a very passionate person and is very passionate about the Hillsborough situation and he had been very much involved in it down the years.

"The (theatre) management did make us aware there was a couple who walked out on the night. Gerry and I spoke, and much as it is very close to his heart and he is extremely passionate about it, he agreed that he should tone it down. If it did offend anyone he sincerely apologises."

Earlier this month the government released the results of a wide-ranging inquiry into the horror in Sheffield in 1989 in which 96 fans died in a huge crush at the Hillsborough stadium. The report revealed cops engaged in a conspiracy to blame fans for disaster.