Meeting encourages Pc’s widow

The widow of Pc Andrew Harper said she was encouraged by her meeting yesterday with Home Secretary Priti Patel over her campaign for anyone guilty of killing an emergency services worker due to a criminal act to be jailed for life, with mandatory minimum terms.

Lissie Harper said after talking with Ms Patel and justice Secretary Robert Buck land: “They spoke and listened well today and I am pleased to say they promised to work with us and support us in achieving our goal of providing justice to families of emergency services.

“We know this won’t happen overnight and now wait for the next steps. We need change.”

The meeting comes after half a million people signed an online petition backing the “vital and urgent” law change within a week of it being set up in response to the jail terms handed down to three teenagers responsible for 28-year-old Mr Harper’s death.