The police chief on the day of the Hillsborough disaster "apologised unreservedly" to the families of the 96 victims today after admitting a "terrible lie" and misleading others minutes after the disaster unfolded.

Former chief superintendent David Duckenfield the match commander at the game, agreed to a request to open exit gates to prevent crushing at the turnstiles outside the ground, the inquest in Warrington heard.

But after Gate C was opened on his orders at eight minutes before kick off, an estimated 2,000 fans poured in, heading straight for a tunnel leading directly to the already-packed central pens three and four, behind the goal.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans died in the ensuing crush minutes later on the Leppings Lane terrace of Sheffield's Hillsborough ground as the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest kicked off on April 15 1989.

Mr Duckenfield, 70, said not thinking through the consequences of giving the order to open the gates is "arguably one of the biggest regrets of my life".

His second day of evidence was watched by dozens of relatives of the victims, sat listening in silence in rows of seats behind the witness box.

And Mr Duckenfield went on to admit that at a 3.15pm meeting with Football Association boss Graham Kelly, his press chief and club officials in the police control box, he did not tell him it was he himself who had authorised the opening of the gates.

Mr Duckenfield instead said fans had "got in through gates" - while other witnesses claim he used the word, "stormed."

He added: "What I did not say to Mr Kelly, I did not say I have authorised opening of the gates. I did not tell him that."

Christina Lambert QC, counsel to the inquests, asked if he was "trying to communicate" that unauthorised access to the stadium by fans was either the cause or part of the cause of the disaster.

"No Ma'am," Mr Duckenfield replied.

"I did not give him sufficient information to appreciate the situation that occurred.

"Being absolutely honest about the situation I made a dreadful mistake not realising the consequences of what I was doing."

Miss Lambert continued: "Do you know that you told Mr Kelly and others something that was not true?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Mr Duckenfield replied.

Miss Lambert continued: "Do you consider now that you told Mr Kelly a lie?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied again.

He added: "I certainly appreciate it was wrong and completely open to misinterpretation."

Mr Duckenfield said he appreciated what he had done as soon as Mr Kelly left the meeting - but did nothing to correct it.

Mr Duckenfield continued: "I was probably deeply ashamed, embarrassed, greatly distressed and I probably did not want to admit to myself or anybody else what the situation is."

He continued: "What I would like to say to the Liverpool families is this, I regret that omission and I shall regret it to my dying day.

"I said something rather hurriedly, without considering the position, without thinking of the consequence and the trauma, heartache and distress that the inference would have caused to those peope who were already in a deep state of stock, who were distressed and to find out in a way and because of my candid behaviour, which is expected of a senior officer, I had heaped upon them, shall we say further damage when they had problems enough.

"Ma'am I deeply regret what happened on the day, it was a major mistake on my part.

"I make no excuse, I apologise unreservedly to the families and I hope they believe, it is a very, very sincere apology."

At this point the coroner, Sir John Goldring intervened.

He asked: "Mr Duckenfield, did you lie because you thought your instruction to open the gate was what had caused what happened?"

"No sir," the witness replied.

Miss Lambert continued: "So what motivated you to lie?"

"I have no idea," Mr Duckenfield said, adding: "Ma'ma I can't give you a motivation."

Miss Lambert said: "It may be people lie to obscure true facts, might that be the reason you told this lie?"

Mr Duckenfield replied: "That was a terrible lie in that everybody knew the truth, the fans knew the truth, the police officers knew we had opened the gates and...

"Did you know the truth?" Miss Lambert interrupted, asking again if at 3.15pm he thought his decision to open the gates may have contributed to or caused the disaster.

Mr Duckenfield said it was "highly likely" that he did but at that point he did not know there were, "dead bodies".

Mr Duckenfield conceded that he had passed up a "golden opportunity" to correct the impression he had given Mr Kelly after going to a meeting in Hillsborough's boardroom minutes afterwards.

The retired officer said: "All I can say is that it was a stressful day. I probably didn't deal with it as professionally as I should have done.

"It was a terrible fall from the standards that one would expect."

Mr Duckenfield said he and fellow senior officers had remained silent on a journey back to police premises in Snig Hill, Sheffield, after leaving Hillsborough.

During the final few minutes of his answers to Miss Lambert's questions, he said: "When you have just been involved in a disaster - I am sorry a tragedy - of that magnitude, conversation doesn't flow. I just sat there in disappointment."

Mr Duckenfield will resume his evidence tomorrow, when he is expected to be questioned by barristers representing other parties at the inquest.