Photographs of victims of the Hillsborough tragedy were printed in the Australian FHM magazine with captions joking about the deaths.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU EXPECT FROM AN AUSTRALIAN?
Photographs of victims of the Hillsborough tragedy were printed in the Australian FHM magazine with captions joking about the deaths.
Ninety-six Liverpool football fans died when they were crushed against steel mesh at the front of terraces at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, played at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground.
FHM Australia printed pictures of crushed fans alongside captions saying: "Shoppers waited for the doors to open for the end-of-year sale."
Another of the pictures showed bodies of victims laid out on the pitch,
accompanied by the caption: "Pitch invaders: lazy."
Another picture showed a fan being lifted to safety alongside a caption: "Get us a beer while you're there."
Ann Williams, who lost her son in the tragedy, told Sky News:
"People forget that 700 were injured that day. There are people still walking around and still devastated over what they saw.
"I lost my son but I can't imagine what it was like at Hillsborough."
Phil Hammond, of the Hillsborough Support Group, said:
"It makes my stomach turn. It is totally unacceptable."
Liverpool FC said it was "absolutely sickened" by the article, adding:
"It is beyond belief that anyone considered this worthy of publication."
FHM Australia has said it "apologises unresevedly" and editor John Bastick said the magazine had acted "without sensitivity and in a totally inappropriate manner".
Owners of the magazine are worried fans may unofficially boycott the publication and are reported to be putting together an offer of financial help to the support group and families of the victims.
The offending edition of Australian FHM has already sold 120,000 copies, but has now been taken off the shelves.