WATCH: Eamonn Holmes sorry after comparing Manchester United bus attack with Hillsborough
SKY NEWS presenter Eamonn Holmes has apologised after comparing the attack of Manchester United’s team bus with the Hillsborough stadium disaster.
Eamonn Holmes compares Manchester United bus attack to Hillsborough
The coach carrying Manchester United to Tuesday's game at Upton Park was struck by missiles as it approached the east London ground.
Smoke bombs and flares were also set off around the coach and some of the vehicle’s exterior windows were damaged ahead of West Ham’s final fixture at the ground before they move to the Olympic Stadium.
Manchester United supporter Holmes, while discussing the incident on Sky News, said: "This is going back to the 70s and to the 80s, the type of thing you were seeing that was bad about Hillsborough, for instance."
Ninety-six Liverpool fans were killed at Hillsborough in 1989 and last month an inquest found that all those fans were unlawfully killed and had not contributed to the disaster.
Eamonn Holmes said sorry following his comments about the Manchester United bus attack
Hillsborough campaigner Charlotte Hennessy, whose father was killed in the crush, was among those to criticise Holmes.
She tweeted: "Very upset to hear @EamonnHolmes compare Hillsborough to violence. My dad & 95 others were unlawfully killed Eamonn!"
Catherine Jones, an editor at the Liverpool Echo newspaper, tweeted: "Did you just link what happened at West Ham last night with Hillsborough?!!!!!"
"Why after 27 years of proving it, have you just compared what happened at Hillsborough to hooliganism?," asked Mikey Stones.
Just being made aware of someone trying to use me to stir up trouble re The Hillsborough disaster . How low , how disgusting.
— Eamonn Holmes (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
The Hillsborough famalies have suffered enough without distasteful sniping like this. For the record there is no comparison between .....
— Eamonn Holmes (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
.....events last night at West Ham and Hillsborough. On the programme I was trying to talk about images we never ever want to see again.
— Eamonn Holmes (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
If anyone concluded anything different my humblest & most honest apologies. I am a huge supporter of The Hillsborough struggle for justice
— Eamonn Holmes (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
Why after 27 years of proving it, have you just compared what happened at Hillsborough to hooliganism?
West Ham have said they will ban for life those responsible for Tuesday night’s attack.
A club statement read: "It was an extraordinary night full of extraordinary moments in front of extraordinary fans. 99 percent of whom behaved impeccably and were a credit to the Club.
"We have already had thousands of tweets and emails from fans to say how proud they were to be a part of such a special evening in West Ham's history.
"However, we are aware that there were some supporters outside the Boleyn Ground who didn't act in an appropriate way when the Manchester United team bus was damaged.
"That was not acceptable and we will work with the police to identify those responsible and ban them for life."
Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney, who played in the match, told Sky Sports: "It wasn't nice. I’m sure you'll see the images. It's not for me to say, but it was disappointing of course.
"It's a big night for West Ham, but I'm sure West Ham as a club will be disappointed with what the fans have done."