A special supplement produced by the Liverpool Echo in memory of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster has raised thousands of pounds for charity.

The Echo printed commemorative edition ‘The 96 – In The Words of Their Families’ in May after a jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing at an inquest which had concluded the previous month following a 27-year fight for justice for the victims’ loved ones.

The supplement included all the pen portraits read out by family members at the start of the new Hillsborough inquests in memory of the 96 who died in the 1989 tragedy.

All of the profits made by the Echo from the supplement are being shared equally between the Liverpool FC Foundation and Everton In The Community, the charitable arms of the city’s two football clubs, who will each receive around £3,000.

Echo editor Ali Machray, pictured above with the supplement, said: “It was a privilege for us to publish this special commemorative edition with its moving and magnificent tributes.

“And thanks to the many thousands of readers who bought copies, we are now delighted to be able to hand over our profits to the Liverpool FC Foundation and Everton In The Community – two charities that do so much good in our communities.”

A reporter from the Echo had been present at court in Warrington for every day of the inquest, which took two years to complete.

At May’s Regional Press Awards the Echo was presented with a special chairman’s award by Trevor Hicks, president of the Hillsborough families’ support group, for its working in supporting their campaign.