Officer 'said Shields had to pay'

Shields has spent three-and-a-half years in prison

Jailed Liverpool fan Michael Shields was made "to pay" for a crime he did not commit claimed a Bulgarian police officer involved in the 22-year-old's trial, a BBC investigation has revealed.

Shields was convicted of attempting to murder a Bulgarian barman following Liverpool's Champions League victory in 2005 in Istabul.

He has served three-and-a-half years of a 15-year sentence, which was reduced on appeal to 10 years, for an attack he has always maintained he was not responsible for.

Now evidence uncovered by BBC's Inside Out North West, from a group of holidaymakers, suggests his protest could be strengthened.

And their claims are being taken seriously by Shields' legal representatives, who are trying to identify the police officer concerned.

Tourist Debbie Pheling, from Liverpool, has said she met the officer in Turkey last August and claimed he had been involved in Shields' trial and knew the football fan was not guilty.

He knew that this young Michael Shields was an innocent lad and he knew that he hadn't done anything whatsoever John Hodge, on the Bulgarian officer

Mrs Pheling said: "He just turned around and said...that he knew Michael Shields was innocent but someone had to take the blame for it and unfortunately it was Michael Shields that took the blame for it."

Mrs Pheling, her husband, Carl, and five others, were introduced to the policeman by their hotel manager.

Fellow holidaymaker John Hodge said: "[The policeman] just said he had taken him (Shields) to court.

"It started to upset me then because when he said he knew that this young Michael Shields was an innocent lad and he knew that he hadn't done anything whatsoever.

"But he said to me 'In my country someone have to pay. Michael Shields have to pay'.

"His reaction to me was that he didn't care. He said it was his country and someone had to pay.

"Even though he knew the chap's name who actually done the offence and Michael Shields, he told me, was actually fast asleep when they went to question him."

John Hodge met the Bulgarian policeman on holiday in Turkey

It comes a month after a judicial review at the High Court ruled Justice Minister Jack Straw has the power to pardon and free Shields.

On the night of the match, victim Martin Georgiev was hit over the head with a rock, leaving him seriously injured.

Another Liverpool fan Graham Sankey, who was staying in the same hotel as Shields, signed a confession admitting he carried out the attack, but later retracted it.

Since then he has refused to comment on Shields' situation.

The new evidence has formed part of submissions by Shields' legal teams to Mr Straw who is currently reviewing the case before making a decision.

John Wheate, Shield's solicitor, said the legal team were also working to trace the policeman.

"If we knew his identification it could become a pivotal," said Mr Wheate.

"If we don't get to know his identification then it's an additional matter that we put together to corroborate everything that we've said about this case so far."

Inside Out is on at 1930 on BBC One.