A former Conservative MP who earlier this year apologised for his role in the false claims made about the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, has died at the age of 83.

Sir Irvine Patnick, who represented Sheffield Hallam for a decade, including when 96 Liverpool fans died at the FA Cup semi-final in 1989, said after the release of an independent report into the tragedy that he had been given “inaccurate, misleading and plain wrong” information about what happened at the time.

Last September, amid calls for him to be stripped of his knighthood, he said: “I totally accept responsibility for passing such information on without asking further questions. I am deeply and sincerely sorry for the part I played in adding to the pain and suffering of the victims’ families.”

Sir Irvine was vice-president of Sheffield’s Kingfield Synagogue. He was also a former Maccabi-vice chairman and life president of the Sheffield Jewish Representative Council.

His wife, Lady Patnick, said she was “disgusted” that the JC had reported criticism of the part he played in the 23-year-long cover-up.