Furious police federation threatens to take legal action to block PC Harper’s killers being released early as Andy Burnham faces backlash
The Police Federation has threatened legal action to stop the killers of PC Andrew Harper from being released from prison early, intensifying pressure on Andy Burnham over the government's approach to sentencing and prisoner releases. The dispute reflects wider anger from policing bodies and victims' families over decisions to free offenders ahead of their full terms, with critics arguing that such releases undermine justice for those who kill officers in the line of duty.
The row adds to mounting criticism of Burnham, who is also facing separate backlash over plans to release thousands of domestic abusers early, with opposition politicians and charity leaders warning that such moves put vulnerable people at risk. The full detail of the Police Federation's legal challenge and the government's response was not available in the supplied article text.
- Police Federation threatens legal action over early release of PC Harper's killers
- Move piles further pressure on Andy Burnham amid prisoner-release backlash
- Comes alongside separate anger over early release of domestic abusers
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Anthony Harper, known as PC Andrew Harper, was a Thames Valley Police officer who died in August 2019 after being dragged behind a car while responding to reports of a burglary. Three men were later convicted over his death, though only for manslaughter rather than murder, a verdict that caused lasting anger among police groups and Harper's family, who felt it did not reflect the severity of the crime.
The Police Federation is the body that represents rank-and-file police officers in England and Wales on pay, welfare and working conditions. It has long argued that sentences for those who kill or seriously harm officers should be tougher, and it sees decisions about early release as a test of whether the justice system takes such crimes seriously.
Andy Burnham is the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a former Labour cabinet minister, a role that gives him influence over policing and public safety in his region. Early release schemes exist across the prison system partly because of overcrowding, but they are politically sensitive whenever they involve violent offenders, which is why this dispute, alongside separate concerns over releasing domestic abusers early, has drawn wider criticism of how such policies are being handled.