British ministers have claimed a legal solution has been identified to prevent the early release of the killers of PC Andrew Harper.

Downing Street had previously stated that it was not possible to exempt specific individuals convicted of manslaughter from a Labour-led early release scheme. However, Communities Secretary Angela Rayner announced that the government would present plans to Parliament in September to address the issue. She indicated that the Justice Secretary would lay out measures to keep individuals convicted of "abhorrent crimes" in jail.

"The Prime Minister is really clear that these people that have created the most abhorrent crimes should not be released early and that he wants to set out in September with the Justice Secretary how we can resolve this issue," Rayner told LBC.

PC Harper, a Thames Valley Police officer, died in August 2019 when he responded to a quad bike theft. He was fatally injured after becoming entangled in a strap attached to a fleeing car. His killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were convicted of manslaughter in 2020 and were serving 13-year sentences. Under the early release scheme, they were expected to be freed halfway through their sentences.

Debbie Adlam, PC Harper's mother, reported being contacted by Downing Street following an interview she gave. She described the call as providing a measure of hope. "She said that he wanted to convey that he wants to do everything that he can and has more hope now of finding a resolution to this to try and keep them in prison," Adlam said of the conversation with a member of the Prime Minister's staff.

Adlam expressed frustration with the process, stating that it felt like a "rush job" and that she felt compelled to advocate for her son's case. She emphasized that she was seeking for the sentences imposed by the court to be fully served.

Approximately 5,000 individuals are anticipated to be released early under the current sentencing reforms. Exemptions have already been made for those convicted of rape, serious child sex offenses, and grooming offenses. The Prime Minister had previously indicated that these exemptions represented the extent of what was possible without risking prison overcrowding. A petition urging that PC Harper's killers remain incarcerated has gathered over 880,000 signatures.