The father of teenage sisters from Pinner who died at Hillsborough said he didn't know whether to laugh or cry following an inquest ruling they had been unlawfully killed in a tragedy caused by police blunders.

Sarah and Vicki Hicks were among the 96 Liverpool fans who lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster originally ruled accidental in the first 1991 inquest.

However, a new jury concluded today police and ambulance service blunders on the day "caused and contributed" to the deaths.

Trevor Hicks said campaigners had done their job and would now keep a close eye on the work of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

After emerging from the inquest courtroom in Warrington Mr Hicks also urged South Yorkshire Police to face up to the jury's finding of unlawful killing - question six of 14 the panel had to answer.

Mr Hicks, who was wearing a badge bearing the number "96" on the lapel of his suit, said: "We've known all along what happened. Obviously it's took us 20-odd years to get here.

"I have to own up and say I was even doubtful we'd get over the line on question six but we have.

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, to be fair.

"I think if anyone is a winner today, it's society at large in that, no matter who you are, how big you are, or where you are in your organisation, the public will come after you if you do anything wrong."

The coroner said today Sarah, 19, was found to have died from compression asphyxia between 3.06pm and 3.39pm.

Her younger sister Vicki, 15, died of compression asphyxia between 3.01pm and 3.45pm.

Mr Hicks has previously described how he tried to save his girls having to choose to ride to hospital with one daughter while leaving the other behind.

Commenting specifically about the role of South Yorkshire Police, Mr Hicks said: "Obviously they've got to face up to the fact - even throughout these proceedings - at the way they have conducted themselves.

"I go to back to what Lord Justice Taylor said in his 1990 report into the disaster in the very beginning - it would have been better if the truth had been faced."

He vowed the campaign to get justice for the Hillsborough victims would continue.

He said: "We're not going anywhere.

"Obviously we hand over to the CPS and other people now - and we will be keeping an eye on them.

"We have to hand over now. The arms of the state should be working for us now rather than against us.

"We've done our job to get us here. We have exceeded all expectations - we've had a clean sweep in terms of every verdict."

Lawyers acting for the families said the conclusions, at the end of the longest jury case in British legal history, had completely vindicated their tireless 27-year battle for the truth.

The original inquest verdicts were quashed following the 2012 Hillsborough Independent Panel report, which concluded that a major cover-up had taken place in an effort by police and others to avoid the blame for what happened.

The jurors today were told they could only reach the unlawful killing determination if they were sure of four "essential" matters concerning the deaths at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.

They had to be convinced match commander Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield owed a duty of care to those who died, and that he was in breach of that duty of care.

Thirdly, they would need to be satisfied that his breach of duty caused the deaths and, fourthly, that it amounted to "gross negligence".

They concluded it was unlawful killing by a 7-2 majority. The jury also ruled that fan behaviour did not cause or contribute to the tragedy.

The jury forewoman wiped away tears and had a catch in her voice as she confirmed the answers to 14 questions about the disaster to coroner Sir John Goldring.

The Hillsborough disaster unfolded during Liverpool's cup tie against Nottingham Forest on April 15 as thousands of fans were crushed at Sheffield Wednesday's ground.

Mr Duckenfield gave the order at 2.52pm to open exit Gate C in Leppings Lane, allowing around 2,000 fans to flood into the already packed central pens behind the goal.

The jury found that both the police and the ambulance service caused or contributed to the loss of lives in the disaster by an error or omission after the terrace crush had begun to develop, policing of the match caused or contributed to a dangerous situation developing at the Leppings Lane turnstiles and commanding officers caused or contributed to the crush on the terrace, as did those senior officers in the police control box when the order was given to open the exit gates at Leppings Lane.

They also concluded features of the design, construction and layout of the stadium considered to be dangerous or defective caused or contributed to the disaster and that Sheffield Wednesday's then consultant engineers, Eastwood & Partners, should have done more to detect and advise on any unsafe or unsatisfactory features of the stadium.

Criminal investigations into the disaster and claims of corruption in its aftermath could finish by the end of the year, when prosecutors will decide whether to charge any individual or organisation.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission, the official police watchdog, also expects its investigation - the biggest in its history - to finish in December or January.

The jury of six women and three men gave their decisions on an emotionally charged day for relatives of the 96, many of whom were in court.

The fresh inquests began on March 31, 2014, in a specially-built courtroom in Warrington, Cheshire.

The jurors were given a round of applause as they left the courtroom.

Dozens of relatives of the victims have attended each of the more than 300 days the court has sat.

As families left the building they were met with applause from crowds who had gathered outside the court in support.

Many began singing Liverpool's anthem You'll Never Walk Alone.