Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 20, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe UK will hold an inquiry into the 1984 'Battle of Orgreave' to investigate police actions during the miners strike.
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Monday it would hold an inquiry into the "Battle of Orgreave", a violent confrontation between police and striking coal miners in 1984 at the height of a year-long industrial dispute with Margaret Thatcher's government.
More than 5,000 striking miners clashed with a similar number of riot police who had been drafted in from across the country at the Orgreave coking plant near Sheffield in northern England.
It was one of the most violent scenes witnessed during a British industrial dispute, and also a pivotal moment in the strike, launched against Thatcher's moves to close money-losing pits. The miners ultimately lost the broader fight to save their industry.
The police have long faced accusations of brutality and using excessive violence at Orgreave on June 18, 1984. TV footage showed charges by officers on horseback and one miner being repeatedly struck on the head with a baton.
More than 120 people were injured and 95 miners initially arrested and charged with riot and violent disorder. Those charges were all later dropped after the evidence was dismissed.
Campaigners have for years demanded to know who was responsible for the deployment of the large number of police and their tactics, as well as what happened to some official documents.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper - Britain's interior minister whose Labour party was in opposition at the time of the strike - said an inquiry headed by Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, would be held to find out the truth.
"The violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened," she said.
Kate Flannery, the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign Secretary, said they needed to be sure that the inquiry had the powers to have unrestricted access to all government and police papers.
"We have waited a long time for this day and this is really positive news," she said.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
The UK is holding an inquiry into the 'Battle of Orgreave', a violent confrontation between police and striking coal miners that occurred in 1984.
More than 120 people were injured, and 95 miners were initially arrested and charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped.
The inquiry will be headed by Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, as announced by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The police have faced accusations of brutality and excessive violence during the clash, with campaigners demanding accountability for the deployment and tactics used.
Campaigners see the inquiry as a positive step towards uncovering the truth about the events at Orgreave and ensuring access to all relevant government and police documents.
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