PC Andrew Harper’s mother, Debbie Adlam, has now issued a challenge to the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to come and meet her

The mother of PC Andrew Harper has called on the prime minister to meet her face-to-face to explain his government’s position that it would not be possible to exempt her son’s killers from the early release scheme.

Debbie Adlam told ITV News she is “more angry than ever” that the government has resisted pressure to keep her son’s killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, behind bars.

Downing Street said on Monday it is “not possible” to exempt “one or two offenders” convicted of manslaughter from its early release scheme, which aims to free up space in prisons.

Ms Adlam, who was asked what she would like to say to Andy Burnham, said: “You want to tour the country, you want to meet the people – you haven’t even got in touch with me.

“How about coming to see me?

PC Harper, 28, was fatally injured in 2019 when he became caught in a strap attached to the back of a car while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire.

He was dragged along a country road as three teenage suspects, including Cole and Bowers, fled the scene of the burglary.

They were found guilty of manslaughter over Harper’s death and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2020, but under current plans, they remain eligible to be freed in January, halfway through their sentences.

The driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and would not be eligible for release.

“Nobody has been in touch, officially, to tell me what the situation is. I’ve heard nothing from the government,” Ms Adlam told ITV News.

“I’m just really angry now because our emotions are going round… we’re getting twisted inside, with what is happening.

“My life’s on hold while this is going on. I’ve got to try and hold everything else together.”

“I’m asking them [the government] just to give them the time that they were supposed to have,” Ms Adlam said.

“They’re [the government] are bringing down the whole reputation of the force. They’re bringing down the public’s perception of the police force completely.”

More than 880,000 people have signed a petition calling for PC Harper’s killers to remain in jail.

Around 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from an initial estimate of 6,000 after some exemptions were announced as part of an urgent government review of the scheme.

The measures, which are due to begin in October, are designed to tackle overcrowding in prisons.

Aileen O’Connor, who chairs the body that represents officers in PC Harper’s former force, Thames Valley Police, also chimed in on the government’s statement.

“The public are speaking loudly and clearly,” she said.

“They agree with us that the Government are firmly on the wrong side of this.

“What they are doing is indefensible. And they simply cannot defend it.

“They must listen. The Prime Minister must listen.”

She added: “If you kill a police officer there should be no early release. No ifs. No buts.”

A government spokesperson said on Monday: “I think you’ve seen from the Prime Minister’s words that he’s far from accepting the situation and as he wrote last week he wants to go even further.

“He’s pushed hard on what more we could do and his focus now is on fixing the prison system long term to avoid a repeat of this prison crisis so that it never happens again.”

Pressed on whether the prime minister was admitting there was nothing more he could do, the official said: “He understands the public wants him to go further, and he wanted to go further, but on the wider issue that prisons would have run out of space, police would stop making arrests, it would be impossible to lock up convicted offenders and that would put public safety at untold risk.”

The early release changes were part of the Sentencing Act passed earlier this year that cut the minimum amount of time many offenders would have to spend in prison.

Those freed will face tougher probation conditions, including electronic monitoring, random drug testing and possible bans from driving, pubs and events such as football matches.

Police constable Andrew Harper’s mother has visited the scene of her son’s death as a petition to stop his killers being released from prison early approached 700,000 signatures.

Pc Harper was fatally injured when he got caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and was dragged down a country road as the killers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead in Berkshire, in 2019.

Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers could be freed halfway through their 13-year sentences under Government plans for early releases designed to tackle overcrowding in jails.

But the decision has prompted widespread condemnation of the scheme.

The Government has resisted pressure to exempt the two men from the early release scheme, part of the Sentencing Act passed earlier this year which cut the minimum amount of time many offenders would have to spend in prison.

Pc Harper’s mother Debbie Adlam, who earlier this week said the family was “bitterly disappointed” by the Government’s decision, visited the scene of her son’s death on Thursday.

Aileen O’Connor, chairwoman of Thames Valley Police Federation, who started the petition this week, said: “The public have spoken loudly and clearly that they are behind our campaign, which is absolutely amazing – and I just want to thank each and every one of the people who have taken the time to sign our petition.

“We will continue to drive this. We will not stop. Please keep signing. Please keep sharing.

“My ask is that the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and everybody else in Government gets on the right side of this and does the right thing and makes the changes that keep the two killers behind bars.”

On Friday afternoon (7 August) the petition had more than 675,000 signatures.

Detective Superintendent Stuart Blaik, who led the investigation into 28-year-old Pc Harper’s death, said he was “deeply concerned and appalled” by the prospect of early release for Cole and Bowers, and that they should “not be afforded the opportunity”.

He said: “Neither of them showed any remorse during their time in police custody or during their subsequent trial.

“I hope the Government takes account of the strength of public feeling on this issue, which has been both clear and widespread.”

Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said he was receiving legal advice on whether the force could join a legal challenge mooted by Ms O’Connor to prevent Cole and Bowers being freed.

The officer’s widow Lissie Harper said the Government “has punched us in the gut… they should be ashamed of themselves”.

“Hopefully we can make the current Government come to their senses and realise we cannot put people like this back on our streets,” she said.

“Justice should mean justice and serving the sentence given.”

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said it was “not OK” that the killers of Pc Harper were eligible for early release.

He said the Government should “never have been put in a position” where prisons were so full that offenders were going to be let out at an earlier stage of their sentence.

“We take this extremely seriously, not least in the light of the concerns raised by the family of Pc Harper,” Mr Streeting said during a visit in Scotland on Friday.

Acknowledging the concerns raised by victims of crime and bereaved relatives, he said: “I’m not expecting any of those people to think that early release is OK, because it’s not OK.

“We should never have been put in a position where prisons across the country were so full to bursting that any government, let alone this Government, had to contemplate the early release of people from serious convictions that have led to being in prison in the first place.”

Those released will face tougher probation conditions, including electronic monitoring, random drug testing and possible bans from driving, pubs and events such as football matches.

The driver of the vehicle in the Pc Harper case, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and will not be eligible for release under the scheme.