Tony Bland died of kidney failure

TONY BLAND, the 22-year-old Hillsborough stadium disaster victim, died from kidney failure after medical treatment was withdrawn, an inquest was told yesterday.

The coroner, James Turnbull, said the Liverpool football supporter suffered traumatic asphyxia and brain damage during the crush at the Leppings Lane end stand at Sheffield Wednesday's ground on 15 April 1989 when 95 other people died.

Adjourning the Bradford inquest to a date to be fixed, he paid tribute to staff at the Airedale General Hospital in Keighley, West Yorkshire, where Mr Bland was treated for almost four years. 'What they have done was quite superlative,' he said.

The coroner said Tony Bland died at Airedale hospital at 9.15pm on Wednesday.

Dr Jim Howe, the consultant physician who has been caring for Mr Bland and who authorised the ending of his hospital treatment, said yesterday he felt sure most people supported the action taken by the Blands to cease feeding their son and allow him to die peacefully.

He said he was not concerned about the chance of a private civil action being taken against himself, the Blands or the hospital.

Mr Bland will be cremated on Monday.