Police in the UK are to face an investigation over whether the Freemasons influenced a massive cover-up at the time of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 in which 96 people were crushed to death at a football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium. Families of victims say that officers who belonged to the secret society were promoted into positions of power and influence, despite being unqualified for the jobs, including match commander David Duckenfield. Dailymail.co.uk reports: Duckenfield told the fresh inquests he had been a Freemason since 1975 and became head of his local lodge – a worshipful master – the year after the 1989 disaster. He was forced to admit that he had no experience of policing football, did not know Hillsborough and ‘wasn’t the best man for the job’ – but was still promoted in the weeks before the tragedy. There was fury among colleagues who believed it was his freemasons membership that was behind his promotion. When asked during the inquest of was influenced by his membership of the so-called ‘secret society’, but added: ‘I would hope not.’ His predecessor Brian Mole, now dead, had also been a member of the same lodge, jurors were told. [...]