Early release scheme goes ahead with exclusions but PC Harper's killers still eligible
Andy Burnham has revised the early prison release scheme, excluding rapists and serious sex offenders, but two of PC Andrew Harper's killers will still be freed early, prompting backlash and legal threats.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The government's controversial early prisoner release scheme, designed to ease chronic overcrowding in England and Wales, will proceed from October after a review by the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. The scheme, initially brought in by Keir Starmer's administration, has been amended to exclude offenders convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming gang crimes. However, it still applies to those convicted of manslaughter, meaning two of the three men jailed for killing PC Andrew Harper will be eligible for release halfway through their 13-year sentences.
PC Harper, 28, was dragged to his death behind a getaway car in Berkshire in 2019 while responding to a quad bike theft. The driver, Henry Long, was jailed for 16 years and is not affected. Passengers Albert Bowers and Jesse Cole, both 17 at the time, were given 13 years for manslaughter. Under the revised plans, they will serve around 7 years and 10 months rather than 8 years and 8 months, and could be released from next June. Their possible release has drawn fury from PC Harper's widow Lissie, who called it 'an utter betrayal', and from his mother Debbie, who said the family feels 'let down again'.
The review, which Burnham ordered within days of taking office, also delays the scheme's start from September to October. The Ministry of Justice says around 5,000 prisoners will be released over ten months, down from the originally planned 6,000. The exclusions mean roughly 1,000 inmates, including rapists and serious child sex offenders, will not be released early. The government says it would have liked to go further but could not without risking the collapse of the prison system, which is currently about 97% full with just over 2,000 spare places. Without the scheme, officials warn, jails could run out of space by November.
The backlash has been intense. Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg has said he is considering joining legal action, alongside the Police Federation, to block the release of PC Harper's killers. A petition demanding they stay behind bars has gained more than 700,000 signatures. The lead detective in the original investigation, Stuart Blake, also spoke out, saying he was 'appalled' by the prospect. The government insists it cannot make individual exceptions, as that would require changing the law for entire categories of offence. It has offered to meet the Harper family and apologised for the distress caused.
A further loophole has emerged. The Times reported that some grooming gang members convicted before the 2003 Sexual Offences Act under the older charge of indecent assault may still be eligible for early release, despite the exclusion for grooming offences. Burnham has ordered an urgent review into this gap. Meanwhile, victims of domestic abuse have expressed alarm, as perpetrators of those crimes remain eligible. The probation service, which will supervise released offenders, has warned it is understaffed, with vacancy rates around 24%, and that the increased workload could put public safety at risk.
The Prime Minister, who has defended his decisions as the 'very limits of what is possible', has faced criticism for taking a holiday during the row. Opposition parties have accused him of being too slow and of performing a U-turn only under pressure. The scheme is set to begin in October, with the first tranche of releases expected then. The political and emotional fallout shows no sign of abating.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Bowers and Jesse Cole, convicted of manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper, were eligible for early release under the government's prison overcrowding scheme. | ||||||||
| The Prime Minister ordered a pause to the early release scheme. | ||||||||
| PC Andrew Harper's widow Lissy Harper called the prospect of early release deplorable and plans to mount a legal challenge. | · | |||||||
| Prime Minister said the early prisoner release scheme could be reviewed after concerns from PC Harper's family. | · | |||||||
| Rapists will be banned from early prison release under a new scheme. | · | |||||||
| The early release scheme allows prisoners to be released after serving half of their sentence instead of two-thirds. | · | |||||||
| The early release scheme will see hundreds of inmates released early from September, including some convicted of serious sexual offences. | · | |||||||
| The government said without decisive action prisons will run out of space, leaving nowhere for serious offenders. | · | |||||||
| The Sentencing Act passed in 2026 reduced the proportion of sentence served in prison from 40% or 50% to 33% for some offenders. | · | |||||||
| Around 6,000 criminals could be freed early under the scheme. | · | · | · | |||||
| A victim of rape by her father said the review must exclude men who rape children for her to be reassured. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Andy Burnham ordered an urgent review to identify grooming gang members who may be released. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News presented the story with a strongly critical tone towards the government, focusing on the perceived injustice of releasing PC Harper's killers and the political embarrassment for Andy Burnham. They repeatedly highlighted the PM's holiday and the loopholes in the scheme, including the eligibility of domestic abusers and grooming gang members convicted under older laws. The coverage was opinionated, using emotive language like 'scumbags' and 'disgraceful'.
- “Offenders convicted of rape, child sex offences and grooming gang crimes will be banned from the planned early prison release scheme but it's understood those convicted of manslaughter will still qualify.”
- “Yes, that's right. So two of the three killers of PC Andrew Harper, which is what sparked this whole review by Andy Burnham, could now go free.”
- “Rapists and groomers will not be freed early, says the Prime Minister. However, they do appear to be willfully ignoring one of the key aspects of this, which as The Sun rightly points out, cop killers will go free.”
Sky News provided a balanced and factual account of the government's announcement and the surrounding controversy. They emphasised the practical constraints of prison capacity and the legal and political dimensions, including interviews with the Justice Secretary and the Chief Inspector of Probation. The tone was more analytical than emotional, focusing on the mechanics of the scheme and its implications.
- “The Prime Minister's announced that offenders convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming will no longer be eligible for the government's new early release scheme.”
- “I have pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do.”
- “We are building prison places at the fastest rate since the Victorian era”
5 News concentrated on the human impact of the early release scheme, featuring interviews with PC Harper's mother and the father of Ellie Edwards, another victim. They highlighted the emotional distress and the sense of betrayal felt by victims' families. The tone was sympathetic and critical of the government, but also included the perspective of the Justice Secretary explaining the unavoidable nature of the decision.
- “I feel very let down. I think from our perspective, but also everything that we feel and do is with Andrew in mind and we basically feel like Andrew is being let down again by the government and by the justice system.”
- “I am really grateful, like I really am, and I don't want to sound any different. I'm so happy that he's not getting out a day earlier than I was promised.”
- “We couldn't draw the exemptions wide enough to include manslaughter as well. I am deeply sorry about that.”
BBC One West provided comprehensive and neutral reporting, focusing on the legal and political complexities. They included interviews with the lead detective in the Harper case and analysis of the capacity crisis. The coverage highlighted the government's dilemma and the potential for legal challenges, while also explaining the mechanics of the sentencing changes.
- “I was appalled by the prospect of the two being released early as part of the early release scheme.”
- “We would have liked to have gone further, but we couldn't because if we do that we would run out of prison places very quickly.”
- “There are currently just over 2,000 spaces available across the prison estate. Two years ago it was just a hundred or so.”
BBC Two's Newsnight offered in-depth political analysis, including interviews with the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley and the Victims' Minister. The focus was on the legal options available to block the release of PC Harper's killers, the government's argument that exempting manslaughter would be untenable, and the broader political fallout for the new Prime Minister.
- “We're at the stage at the moment of the Police Federation seeking some legal advice to find out what routes there would be. And I would certainly support the Chief Constable and the Federation in looking at all those legal avenues we've got.”
- “If we were to exempt manslaughter, that would mean that the numbers in the prison situation would just be untenable.”
- “Do Labour MPs want to go through the lobby and directly vote to let those two individuals out of prison?”
ITV News focused on the emotional and institutional reaction, including the Chief Constable's public statement and the Harper family's response. They also highlighted the Prime Minister's absence on holiday during the controversy. The coverage was straightforward, giving voice to both the police and the government's defence, while noting the political pressure on Burnham.
- “I am worried that this matter is affecting the public's confidence in the wider criminal justice system.”
- “The Prime Minister has been able to exempt certain offences, including rape, child sex and grooming, but some really difficult decisions remain and the Prime Minister has been clear that he would like to go further but has apologised to the family of PC Harper.”
- “It's a row that remains unresolved, causing further hurt for PC Harper's family, friends and colleagues.”
Channel 4 News concentrated on the victims' perspective and the strain on the probation service. They featured interviews with domestic abuse survivors and the NAPO union, warning that releasing domestic abusers early would lead to more women being harmed. The tone was critical of the government's approach, emphasising the systemic underfunding of probation and the inadequacy of electronic monitoring.
- “I feel upset. I feel like we've been disregarded, I feel like we've been pushed to one side, or what's happened to us and what we've had to go through has not been reflected in anything to do with the law.”
- “Plans to release thousands of domestic abuse perpetrators and stalkers early from prison does not boost victim protection. It means that more people, largely women, will be killed or harmed.”
- “We have a justice minister on Channel 4 News this evening. What do you want to say to her about how you're feeling just now?”
BBC News provided a concise and factual summary of the government's announcement and the ongoing controversy. They highlighted the exclusions, the delay to October, and the continued eligibility of manslaughter convicts. The coverage also noted the loophole for pre-2003 grooming offences and the reaction from victims' families, maintaining a neutral and straightforward tone.
- “The Prime Minister has said prisoners serving sentences for rape and serious child sex offences are to be excluded from an early release scheme.”
- “Andy Burnham has delayed a plan which would have seen some prisoners released early in September until October.”
- “The government says the changes are necessary. The victims say they come at a cost.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.