Northumbria police destroy Battle of Orgreave and other miners’ strike files

Force says it disposed of papers last year despite forthcoming inquiry into scenes of violent policing in 1984

Police have destroyed documents relating to the Battle of Orgreave in 1984 during the miners’ strike, which is the subject of a forthcoming official inquiry.

Northumbria police disposed of the papers less than a month before Rishi Sunak called last summer’s election, which brought the Labour party into government with a longstanding manifesto pledge to hold an inquiry into the scenes of violent policing at Orgreave.