Andy Burnham shares update on PC Harper's killers in BBC Breakfast announcement

In a BBC Breakfast announcement on Sunday (August 30), hosts Luxmy Gopal and Roger Johnson said that two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers will remain in prison after changes to the early release programme. They reported that the Prime Minister revealed the decision exclusively to the show. The segment said those convicted of unlawful killing would be excluded from early release, and referenced a petition that reportedly gathered more than 1 million signatures. The update followed continued campaigning by Harper’s relatives and fellow officers. The article adds that Bowers and Cole, two of three convicted over Harper’s death, were passengers in a vehicle that dragged him along a rural road in Berkshire in 2019 after a quad bike theft, and they were due for release next year midway through 13-year sentences. The policy also involves creating more prison capacity via deporting foreign prisoners and releasing some inmates serving indefinite sentences.