Councillor Frank Prendergast: The aftershocks of Hillsborough have continued

Councillors Frank Prendergast and Dave Martin - both members of the board who appointed Norman Bettison - resigned when they heard of his involvement in a police inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster.

Ninety six Liverpool football fans died at the FA Cup semi-final at the Sheffield Wednesday stadium in 1989.

The South Yorkshire Police inquiry allegedly tried to deflect blame for the tragedy away from police and on to fans.

Coun Prendergast said he had only recently become aware of the chief constable's role because Mr Bettison's links with Hillsborough - when he was a chief inspector for South Yorkshire Police - were not included on his application form for his new post.

New Chief Constable Norman Bettison

In a joint statement they said they did not believe Mr Bettison had not made his links with the tragedy clear at the start of the appointment procedure.

The statement said: "We have come to the conclusion that at worst Mr Bettison has not been as candid as the circumstances demanded from the outset or at best, has demonstrated a lack of judgement in not acquainting members fully about his background when asked.

"In either case, it is our view that such circumstances warrant his resignation. If Mr Bettison will not go then we will."

The controversy surrounding Mr Bettison and his appointment to replace former Chief Constable Sir James Sharples developed the day after he was selected for the post.

Liverpool Garston MP Maria Eagle had named the new chief constable in the House of Commons as a member of the unit.

She said he would have a credibility problem in the job and the Hillsborough victims' families called for his resignation.

Mr Bettison, who is currently Assistant Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, told a meeting of Merseyside Police Authority on Monday night that his involvement with the Hillsborough disaster had been "peripheral".

He said the team of which he was a part had tried "to make sense of what happened on the day".

Protesters call for Mr Bettison's resignation

He told the meeting he had not included the information on his application form because it related to duties as a "junior officer".

He said he thought the information had already been given to the nine-strong selection panel.

Trevor Hicks, leader of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, welcomed the councillors' decision.

Mr Hicks, who lost two daughters in the tragedy, said: "We accept that councillors Martin and Prendergast made a mistake and they were gracious enough to admit it and have tried to put it right.

"They have done the decent thing and they have voted with their feet so it is to their credit and to the shame of the rest of the selection panel that they have done this.