A WORCESTER man has been charged with a public order offence after wearing a t-shirt which bore an allegedly offensive statement about the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

West Mercia Police has named the man as Paul Grange, aged 50, from Worcester.

Mr Grange has been charged with a Section 5 Public Order offence, relating to the display of threatening and abusive signs and writing, likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He has been bailed and will appear at Worcester Magistrates' Court on a date to be confirmed in July.

A photograph of a man sitting in the pub garden of the Brewers Arms in Comer Road, St John's, Worcester, sparked outrage worldwide after it was posted across social media sites last night (Sunday).

The black t-shirt refers to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 people died, and allegedly states the tragedy was "God's way" of aiding a pest control company.

The Worcester News has chosen not to publish the message printed on the t-shirt.

West Mercia Police has confirmed a man has today (Monday) been charged with a Section 5 Public Order offence and has been bailed to appear at Worcester Magistrates' Court.

Earlier today (Monday) a man was arrested by officers under Section 4a of the Public Order Act 1986, on suspicion that with intent he displayed writing which was threatening, abusive, insulting and caused harassment, alarm or distress.

Members of the public alerted police after a man was spotted wearing the t-shirt in the beer garden of the St John's pub yesterday (Sunday).

Superintendent Kevin Purcell said: "I understand the alarm and distress the offensive language shown on this t-shirt will have caused to both the people in and around the pub and further afield.

"I would like to thank the landlord of the pub for his support and all the members of the public who were in the pub at the time and came forward to report it.

"Police acted very quickly to arrest the individual and he remains in police custody at this time."