Hillsborough remembrance in city centre
The city of Liverpool will come to a standstill this afternoon to remember the 96 men, women and children who lost their lives at the Hillsborough disaster 25 years ago.
At 3.06pm, the exact time at which the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest was stopped on April 15, 1989, church bells will toll 96 times and a period of silence will be observed across the city.
Public transport will be halted, the Mersey Ferry will blow its funnels, and barriers at both Mersey Tunnels will be lowered, as the bells ring out at the Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool Parish Church, the town hall and other civic buildings and churches.
At Lime Street Station, at the heart of the city centre, a huge screen will display a photo of each of the 96. It will be the fourth year running that the screen, one of the largest of its kind throughout Europe, has offered remembrance to coincide with the silence.
At Anfield, loved ones of those lost at the disaster will be joined by supporters, players, staff and senior representatives of the club at the annual memorial service, which is scheduled to start at 2.45pm.
Thousands of football scarves will be laid out on the pitch in the shape of '96', donated from fans and clubs around the world after an appeal from Liverpool FC for scarves to show a symbol of unity across fan rivalries.
The initial part of the service at the Reds' home ground, from 2.40pm until approximately 3.10pm, will be covered live by the club's official television channel, LFC TV. The memorial service is an all-ticket event and tickets are not available on the day.
Delayed coverage of the annual service in its entirety will subsequently be broadcast on LFC TV at 6pm and repeated later at 9.30pm. Updates will be published in real-time throughout the memorial service on Liverpoolfc.com.