Cameron raises possibility of terraces again

Terraces could return to football grounds under a Tory government, David Cameron said yesterday.

The Conservative leader said there was evidence that other countries managed to organise safe standing areas, and pledged to launch a review of the current strict regulations in the UK if he came to power.

But he insisted the "first priority" must be safety following the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which more than 90 fans died.

Answering questions from visitors to his website, Cameron said: "Obviously the first priority here has got to be safety after the dreadful events at Hillsborough.

"But I understand that other countries manage to organise things in a slightly different way, and there may be some more modern ways of organising the limited seating areas.

"What I would say is that when we come into government I would ask the sports minister to review the existing regulations to take into account the views of the football authorities, the police, the clubs, the fans, and we will have a really good look at this."

More than 100 MPs have signed an early-day motion from Mike Hancock, the Lib Dem member for Portsmouth South, which calls on the Government to "re-examine the case for limited sections of safe standing areas".

Currently clubs in England's top two divisions are legally obliged to have all-seater stadia. Sports minister, Richard Caborn - MP for Sheffield Central at the time of the Hillsborough disaster - has expressed his opposition to reintroducing terraces.