Many men and women in uniform have been puzzled by their superiors' low profile.

Until yesterday neither police commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung nor his top lieutenants had appeared in public since the 87 rounds of tear gas were fired. In a statement yesterday, Tsang delivered a stinging attack on what appears to be the increasingly violent approach of some protesters.

Several sources within the force have told the that Tsang's absence from the public eye is the result of a dispute between him and Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. One source said the government was keen for Tsang to stay out of the limelight because he has a tough public image and might have further inflamed the situation.

There appeared to be a frostiness when Tsang and Leung appeared at the Bauhinia Awards ceremony yesterday.

"There is a strong sense of puzzlement in the ranks over why the commissioner and his deputies have played such a low- profile role at a time when the men and women under his control have been put through the Wringer. It would be a huge morale booster if they had been seen more," said one long-serving officer who insisted on anonymity.

"There are some who feel they are being hung out to dry - where is the boss when you need him? Has he been hidden away on orders from the Hong Kong government, or worse, from Beijing?"

Another officer said: "Many think he has fallen out with the CE. He has a reputation for leading from the front, for being a genuine hard man and for supporting his troops - so where the hell is he?"

Yesterday Tsang said of the recent clashes in Mong Kok: "I have a message from the bottom of my heart: these illegal acts are hurting Hong Kong, hurting our society. They seriously disrupt the daily lives of our people, students, workers, businessmen, people requiring medical attention, people from all walks of life.

"To these demonstrators, to these protesters, you may think that your illegal acts have prevented the police [from] going about our duties, disrupted our deployments and even forced us to retreat.

"Superficially these may the case. But let me tell you this: these illegal acts are undermining the rule of law, undermining what Hong Kong has always been relying on to succeed.

"I urge you to think about this: If, from now on, the police fail to uphold [the] law effectively, who is there to benefit? And who is there to gain?"

One consequence of the absence - at least in public - of leadership was the issuing of an unprecedented call for unity by the force's four staff associations.

The message sent on Friday to all police said: "We are in the midst of troubles, unprecedented in our careers. Officers have been and remain subject to extreme antagonism, intimidation, emotional, mental and physical stress, severe fatigue and danger.

"We wish to remind you all that we, the Police Staff Associations, stand united as a Federation in offering our collective full and unwavering support to officers who require our assistance.

"We will continue to endeavour to aid officers to the very best of our ability. We are One.''

Tam Yiu-chung criticised for 'offensive' use of Liverpool anthem

A support group for the families of people killed in the Hillsborough football disaster in England 25 years ago has slammed a pro-establishment politician in Hong Kong for using an anthem at the heart of their quest for justice.

Tam Yiu-chung, chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), attempted to salute police officers on Thursday at a special Legislative Council meeting to discuss Occupy Central.

He used the Liverpool FC anthem and motto to show his support for the force.

"The police's contributions are recognised by the public. When the protests started, there were people sending good wishes to police at different stations," he said. "This is a really heart-rending situation. I can't help thinking about the Liverpool motto: ."

The reference, however, has angered local Liverpool fans in Hong Kong, who took to the streets of Admiralty on Friday night clad in the club's signature red jerseys to protest against Tam's "offensive" reference.

For supporters of the English Premier League side, the anthem is inextricably linked to their battle for justice following the disaster in 1989 when police mismanagement of the crowd resulted in a human crush and the deaths of 96 people.

In 2012, an independent report found that police bore responsibility for the disaster and had attempted to conceal their culpability by altering witness statements. British Prime Minister David Cameron subsequently apologised for the injustice.

Kenneth Derbyshire, chairman of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign in Britain, told the that Tam's comments were "out of order".

There were still a number of inquests to be heard, he said.

"I am disgusted by it. With all the inquiries going on, it is like being kicked in the guts," said Derbyshire. "The song is close to everyone's hearts. We've been singing it for years."

A female protester who attended the rally of about 50 Liverpool supporters in Admiralty said: "It was so offensive for [Tam] to use our anthem title for exactly the opposite thing the song stood for.

"This song was for justice, but here he is using it to encourage injustice."