Flowers were laid at the Hillsborough memorial in tribute to mums of the 96 victims this Mother’s Day.

Charlotte Hennessy, whose dad James, of Ellesmere Port, died in the 1989 disaster, left the flowers at the temporary memorial at Anfield – which has been installed while the stadium is redeveloped.

The message on the bouquet read: “For all the mums who never gave up and spend yet another Mother’s Day without their child.”

Charlotte, who now lives in Connah’s Quay, was just six when James, a 29-year-old plasterer, died in the tragedy.

Charlotte Hennessy with father James, who died in the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster
Charlotte Hennessy with father James, who died in the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster

She said: “Mother’s Day should be enjoyable but for some its painful. Every one of our Hillsborough mums never gave up and never gave in.

“Some mothers have very sadly left us along the way. They too are very deeply missed.”

The mum-of-three was treated to an Anfield tour and Mother’s Day lunch by her sons.

She said: “The right thing to do was to lay flowers for all of our Hillsborough mums and let them know how proud our 96 would be, that they are valued and thought of every day.

“I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that we will forever be grateful to them all.

“They are very, very special ladies and I wish them all a peaceful Mother’s Day.”

Hillsborough Family Support Group chairwoman Margaret Aspinall recorded a diary of the past week which aired on Radio Four.

Mrs Aspinall, who was among about 200 family members who attended the court in Birchwood Park, Warrington, to hear evidence from Mr Duckenfield, said Friday would have been her son James’s birthday.

He was 18 when he died in the disaster.

She said: “He would have only been 44, still such a young man and yet he’s been dead longer, a lot longer, than what he lived.”