Key facts
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham is exploring options to block the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers.
- The killers' names are Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers.
- A scheme is in place for the early release of approximately 5,000 inmates.
- The government has resisted pressure to exempt Cole and Bowers from the early release scheme.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly exploring all available avenues to prevent the early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, the individuals convicted of killing PC Andrew Harper. The government is under pressure to find a way to block their potential release from prison. Currently, a scheme is in effect that could permit the early release of approximately 5,000 inmates. However, the government has so far resisted calls to exempt Cole and Bowers from this particular scheme, indicating a potential conflict between existing release policies and the desire to keep these specific individuals incarcerated.