FAMILIES of the Hillsborough victims must wait many months before all the documents about the tragedy are finally released, MPs were told last night.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith warned that government officials were only just beginning the lengthy process of digging out and archiving all the secret files from 20 years ago.

Officials are also still wrestling with the issue of how to release all the files, to ensure relatives of the 96 Liverpool fans who lost their lives can read them first.

The slow timetable was revealed to a delegation of eight Merseyside MPs, who met Ms Smith and Sports Secretary Andy Burnham at the Commons last night.

The meeting was arranged after the Home Secretary delighted the Hillsborough campaigners by agreeing to open the government filing cabinets – 10 years ahead of schedule.

That breakthrough followed Liverpool-born Mr Burnham’s decision to raise the controversy at Cabinet, just one day after he was heckled at the Anfield memorial service on April 15.

Halton MP Derek Twigg, who led the delegation that met the two ministers for 50 minutes, said they were pleased to hear a “clear commitment” to release all documents.