Hillsborough families have criticised the lack of contact from the Home Office a month on from an unannounced review into their relatives' deaths.
The Home Office apologised to the families last month but said it would look to engage with them through the process. An independent review considering what went wrong with the original pathology report was announced on October 5.
The review, investigating the failings of the original Hillsborough inquests to ensure similar mistakes aren't made in the future, began on July 1 following the conclusion of the criminal trials. But the families of the Hillsborough victims said they were not notified of the review until the day of the official announcement.
READ MORE: Home Office issue Hillsborough apology as politicians call for review postponement
The families said the decision to review pathology failures without seeking permission was "disrespectful". The review will look into the reports used at the victims' original inquests.
Following pressure from the ECHO, the Home Office issued an apology to the families of the 97 people who died in the disaster in 1989. A spokesperson for the Home Office told the ECHO last month : "The legacy of the Hillsborough disaster continues to deeply impact us all, and the families of the 97 people who lost their lives have shown vast strength and courage.
"We apologise to the families that they were not told in advance about the announcement of this review. This review is one of the recommendations of the Bishop James Jones report. We are committed to responding to the Bishop's report as soon as practicable, and will engage with the families during the process."
The BBC has now reported that over a month on the Home Office has made "little or no contact". Charlotte Hennessy, whose dad James was among the 97 killed in the tragedy, told BBC: "It's made me feel anxious and puzzled.
"Is there something that they know that they're not telling us? Has something else come to light, which has made them think 'we need to do a review here?' There's so many questions, we've just been blindsided."
Following the Home Office's apology leading politicians in the north west called for a suspension of the review. Steve Rotheram, Andy Burnham and Joanne Anderson said the review should be delayed "until proper consultation has taken place with the Hillsborough families and their consent is secured".
The BBC said a letter from Home Secretary Suella Braverman to Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, seen by the broadcaster, said she understood concerns. Ms Braverman is understood to be "writing to the families in due course regarding plans for engaging with them".
But Ms Cooper told BBC Radio Merseyside the government just "doesn't get it". She added: "I think the real problem is that the Home Secretary still has not contacted the families. That's just not fair, it's failing to show the kind of respect that really was at the heart of the problem in the first place."
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