A regional daily is today devoting its first 25 pages to the Hillsborough disaster on the 25th anniversary of football’s darkest day.

Sheffield daily The Star says its commemorative edition ‘The Heroes of Hillsborough’ will aim to look at the 15 April 1989 tragedy in a fresh light.

As well as honouring the 96 Liverpool supporters who perished and their families, the paper wants to highlight what it sees as the untold  story of the local people who tried to help the stricken victims.

The initiative has been commended by Trevor Hicks, the Liverpool fan who lost two daughters on the Leppings Lane terraces.  In today’s paper he thanks every Sheffielder who went out of their way to help those in their moments of need.

Assistant editor Bob Westerdale said: “We salute the ordinary Sheffielders who fought to save lives, helped the injured and provided emotional and practical support to thousands of shocked Liverpool fans, who had turned up one sunny day in 1989 to watch a football match.

“A fresh series of inquests are underway.  We support this independent quest for the truth, where the behaviour of fans and the role of individuals and organisations is under scrutiny.

“But today we look at those grassroots folk whose stories have never been highlighted in such detail before.

“Our mission in The Star today is to illustrate the positive roles played by well-meaning South Yorkshire men and women.”

Today’s edition of the Liverpool Echo commemorated the 96 victims on its front page with the simple headline ‘Never Forget.’

The Trinity Mirror-owned title has been instrumental in campaigning for the new inquests to be held into the tragedy.