Families campaigning for new inquests into the deaths of 96 fans who died at Hillsborough in 1989 have welcomed another step forward in their fight.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve has now made an application to the High Court for new inquests, in line with an announcement following the Hillsborough Independent Panel report in September.

Now campaigners hope hearings will be held before Christmas.

Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: "This is a major milestone, it is the main thing that the families have wanted for such a long time.

"It is great that the application has now gone in, we just hope that it is this side of Christmas."

There are just 10 days left before the High Court rises for its three-week end-of-year break.

A spokeswoman for the High Court said: "The hearing will be listed as soon as possible. It is not yet known at this stage whether it will be before Christmas."

The original 'accidental death' verdicts have prevented any meaningful inquiry into the lack of care received by the 96 fans who lost their lives in Sheffield.

The desire for the hearing to be held as quickly as possible has grown since news that Anne Williams - a tireless campaigner who lost her son Kevin during the tragedy - has terminal cancer.

Anne said: "I am buzzing - I'm over the moon that it's finally happened. This document is what I've been fighting the system to get hold of for 23 years.

"I can't believe I've finally got it here in front of me in black and white. I just keep looking at the words over and over again in case I'm seeing things or reading it wrong.

"I've had all this evidence for a long time and presented it to previous attorney generals, who didn't do their job properly and rejected it for supposedly 'not being in the interests of justice'.

"It is terrible how this has gone on for so long but the main thing is the right things are now happening.

"I just hope there isn't too much red tape involved and they are able to set a date for Kevin's inquest soon."