The song about the tragedy is to appear on a new album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours.

Manics blame South Yorkshire 'mass murderer'

Ninety-six Liverpool football fans died at the Hillsborough stadium Sheffield in 1989 when hundreds of supporters surged into an area that was already overcrowded. The victims were crushed to death against fences designed to keep fans off the pitch.

Many of the victims' families pinned the blame on the police for opening the gates and allowing in the crowds.

They brought a private prosecution against two senior officers from the South Yorkshire Police and last week, former chief superintendent David Duckenfield and former superintendent Bernard Murray were in court to hear the accusations made against them. The case has been adjourned until October.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Daines, who was not involved with Hillsborough policing that fateful day, said the song, called South Yorkshire Mass Murderer, was "in bad taste and likely to cause offence to many people". But he admitted he had not actually heard the track.

'How can you sleep at night?'

The song featured by the band, which won best album at last year's Brit Awards, includes the line "South Yorkshire mass murderer how can you sleep at night?"

It also mentions Jimmy McGovern who wrote a controversial TV movie about Hillsborough.

Mr McGovern himself is reported to have said the sentiments in South Yorkshire Mass Murderer were "brilliant".

He told New Musical Express magazine: "I've heard those sentiments expressed by many of the Hillsborough families many times.