Hillsborough robbed us of a son, says Midland victim's mother

But the day out watching his beloved team would turn to tragedy – and his devastated mother has told an inquest that her life has never been the same since.

Fighting back the tears, Jennifer Birtle said: "None of us will ever be the same again.

"We've all changed and not for the better I'm afraid. David was loved deeply by all his family and is missed every single day by us all.

"We were robbed of a son, brother, grandson and now uncle." Mrs Birtle told the inquest how David, who was three weeks short of his 23rd birthday when he died, had been obsessed with football since he was old enough to walk. "Once he could run there was always a football attached to his foot," she said.

"He never walked. He ran everywhere. Trevor Francis was his hero at that time.

"David did not get the chance to have a family but we know that he would have been a wonderful father." Mrs Birtle told the jury at the specially convened coroner's court in Warrington how heartless thieves broke into her son's car parked near to the stadium in Sheffield shortly after the disaster.

"He had left a Liverpool scarf in the car, identifying him as a fan", said Mrs Birtle. "That person knew he was a Liverpool fan and the reason why his car was still there."

See also: Time for justice for my son, says Hillsborough victim's father

Mrs Birtle was in Oman when she heard that her son had been caught up in the tragedy.

David was born in West Bromwich, but the family moved to Cannock when he was six months old. As a child he almost died from gastroenteritis.

At the time of his death, David was living with his father Jim Saunders at the Central Pub in Cemetery Road, Cannock.

Mr Saunders has previously told how he was made to feel that he had to defend his son's honour in the wake of the tragedy.

He said one of the first things he was asked by police after identifying his son's body was about how much he had to drink.

Mr Saunders, now 70, said his son had been at the Heysel disaster four years earlier, and had telephoned his father immediately to let him know he was all right.

But the call from Hillsborough never came, prompting Mr Saunders to drive to Sheffield stopping at telephone boxes along the way in case his son had called the pub.

Statements have now been made by 35 families. The inquest is expected to last for 12 months.