Petition to stop PC Harper's killers being released early from prison hits one million signatures

A petition set up to stop the killers of a police officer being released early from prison has now received more than one million signatures.

PC Andrew Harper was fatally injured in 2019 while he responded to reports of a burglary.

He was dragged along a country road for more than a mile after his ankle became caught in a strap attached to the back of a getaway car.

Driver Henry Long was sentenced to 16 years, and passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were handed 13 years for manslaughter in 2020 after the death of the Thames Valley Police traffic officer.

Cole and Bowers are set to be eligible for release as part of the government's efforts to ease prison overcrowding, with around 5,000 people expected to be freed early under recently announced sentencing changes.

That's down from 6,000 after the exemptions announced as part of an urgent review of the scheme, but the planned release of the two has sparked controversy.

A petition set up by the Thames Valley Police Federation on the Change.org website, which calls for Cole and Bowers to be kept in jail, has now reached at least 1,000,459 signatories as of Friday morning.

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In response to the milestone, the police body said: "We would like to thank each and every person who has signed our petition for their support on this important issue.

"With the seventh anniversary of Andrew's death tomorrow, we have chosen to acknowledge this important milestone without fanfare, out of respect to his family at this difficult time."

Andy Burnham has asked his justice secretary to find a way to keep Cole and Bowers behind bars when the early release scheme comes into effect in October.

Speaking to LBC on Wednesday, the prime minister said he "wouldn't forgive myself" if he did not try to lessen the "anguish" of PC Harper's family.

Minister Sally Jameson also told Sky's Anna Jones that "all options" were being looked at by the government.

The prospect of Cole and Bowers' early release has drawn widespread criticism, with former officer Chris Bushnell, a colleague of PC Harper who chased down his killers the day he died, accusing the government of "spitting in the faces of police officers".

(c) Sky News 2026: Petition to stop PC Harper's killers being released early from prison hits one million signat