'The end of an emotional journey for our colleague'

A petition signed by more than one million people opposing the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers has been delivered to Downing Street.

Harper, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, died in August 2019 when the Thames Valley Police (TVP) officer was dragged by a car as three teenagers, including Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, fled a quad bike theft in Berkshire.

Bower and Cole had been eligible for early release, but on Sunday the Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced they would remain behind bars, following months of campaigning from PC Harper's family and former colleagues.

TVP Federation Chair Aileen O'Connor, who presented the petition to the government, said it was an "emotional moment".

She said she wanted to honour all those who'd taken the trouble to sign the petition, even though its aims had already been secured.

She said the government's change of heart "sent a message to police officers they were finally being listened to, but I need to see more including proper funding for police forces".

Cole and Bowers were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in 2020.

The pair would have been eligible for early release in January after serving half their sentences under changes to the Sentencing Act to reduce prison overcrowding.

Burnham told the BBC anyone convicted of unlawful killing, including all forms of manslaughter, would be excluded from the scheme.

He said extra prison space would instead be created by deporting foreign prisoners and releasing some inmates serving indefinite sentences.

A third man jailed for manslaughter - the vehicle driver Henry Long - was given a longer 16-year jail term and cannot be considered for the new early release conditions.

"Our officers run towards danger every day and some pay the ultimate price, being killed in the line of duty," said O'Connor.

She said an officer was assaulted while working every ten minutes in the UK, adding: "People should not go to work feeling they might not come home, things drastically need to change."

On Tuesday, the Police Federation of England and Wales welcomed a commitment from the Prime Minister to look at investment in policing and police numbers.

It said "our members desperately want the tools, time and numbers to do the job of policing properly. But this must also come alongside proper pay".

A Home Office spokesperson said force funding was at an all-time high, with Thames Valley police receiving £660m this year.

They said: "Our reforms to policing will also provide £2.4m to roll out support for frontline officers, including psychological health checks and continuation of the Mental Health Crisis Line to support those facing dangerous and traumatic situations."