A petition to block the early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers has been signed by more than one million people.
The police officer, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, died in 2019 when he was dragged by a car as three teenagers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Berkshire.
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were sentenced to 13 years for his manslaughter in 2020 but could be released next year under plans to tackle prison overcrowding. The prime minister is looking at ways to keep them in jail.
Thames Valley Police (TVP) Federation acknowledged the important milestone the petition had reached “without fanfare” due to the seventh anniversary of the officer’s death on Saturday.
The petition was started by TVP federation chair Aileen O’Connor who said the decision to consider the killers for early release “pours salt into wounds that have never healed”.
She added it was an “insult to Andrew’s family, his friends, his colleagues and the entire policing family”.
The federation thanked all those who have signed in support.
