Million-strong petition to keep Berkshire PC's killers jailed handed to Downing Street
Thames Valley Police Federation launched the campaign after the death of PC Andrew Harper
A petition signed by more than a million people over the potential early release of the killers of PC Andrew Harper has been hand-delivered to Downing Street.
Thames Valley Police Federation dropped off the petition at No 10 this afternoon.
PC Harper, who was from Abingdon, died in August 2019 after his feet became caught in a strap attached to a getaway car and he was dragged for more than a mile near Sulhamstead in Berkshire.
He had been responding to a report of a stolen quad bike.
Three teenagers, Henry Long, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, were cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.
Long was jailed for 16 years, while Bowers and Cole were each given 13 years.
The early release row
The petition was launched over the Government's early release scheme, which the Federation feared could see those responsible freed early.
The Federation says the Government has since made the decision to keep the killers behind bars.
However, the Government has said it could not single out individual manslaughter cases, and manslaughter was not among the offences added to the list excluded from early release.
Under the scheme, some prisoners can be considered for release after serving half their sentence.
'A historic public backing'
Aileen O'Connor, Chair of Thames Valley Police Federation, said: "The fact that more than 1 million people signed our petition calling for the killers of PC Andrew Harper to remain behind bars was a historic public backing for police officers.
"We want to thank each and every person from across the United Kingdom who signed it - and provided this incredible support for the police service and our colleagues working out there now, risking it all keeping the public safe."
She said the Federation felt it still had to deliver the petition in person to acknowledge the strength of support, and to put the Government "on notice".
Concerns over policing
The Federation says a police officer is assaulted across the UK every 10 minutes.
It says 19,443 officers were signed off work over the past year due to stress, depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, and that three in 10 police officers and staff intend to leave policing within the next year.
O'Connor said: "We need to see the Government better protecting us. We need to see the Government better funding us. We need to see the Government better supporting us."
She said officers "run towards danger when everyone else is running away", adding: "They do so knowing that they may never come home to their families. As we have only seen too painfully in Cleveland over recent days."
O'Connor said: "PC Andrew Harper died doing for the job that he loved, serving communities, serving society."
She added: "This was about getting justice for Andrew's legacy.
"Supporting his widow Lissie, his family and his close colleagues.
"Andrew will never be forgotten."