The case of PC Harper provoked widespread outrage and prompted a campaign spearheaded by Harper's widow, Lissie Harper

Two of the men convicted of killing PC Andrew Harper could be up for early release under the Ministry of Justice's scheme to address prison overcrowding.

Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, both sentenced to 13 years in 2020 for the officer's manslaughter, could walk free at the halfway point of their terms rather than serving two-thirds.

Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, received a letter from the MoJ acknowledging the news "may be difficult" given "the lasting impact the offence may have had on you".

She described the prospect as an "insult beyond anything able to be put into words."

She said: "It makes me feel sick. Andrew's life doesn't get to come back. It feels like a slap in the face and an insult."

The 28-year-old officer had responded to reports of a quad bike theft in August 2019 when his ankles became entangled in a towrope loop trailing from the suspects' vehicle.

He was dragged for over a mile along rural roads, sustaining fatal injuries.

Bowers and Cole, both 17 at the time, were passengers in the car.

The driver, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and does not qualify for the early release programme.

The case provoked widespread outrage and prompted a campaign spearheaded by Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, who had married the officer just weeks before his death.

"Harper's Law" subsequently introduced mandatory life sentences for those who kill emergency workers during the commission of a crime, which Labour backed at the time.

Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, accused Labour of having "lied to Parliament" over assurances that the Sentencing Act would not shorten terms for the most serious offenders.

He said: "It would be an absolute disgrace if the killers of Pc Andrew Harper get out of prison early. Labour must work with us and back our emergency legislation to stop the release of sex offenders and vile criminals like these killers."

The Conservatives tabled an opposition day amendment this month seeking to exclude anyone convicted of sexual offences against adults or children, including rape and grooming, as well as those found guilty of attempting, conspiring in, or inciting such crimes.

The early release provisions are enshrined in the 2026 Sentencing Act.

The scheme is due to become operational in September and is projected to result in the early release of more than 5,000 offenders over the subsequent 10 months.

Serious criminals, including those convicted of rape and child grooming, are among those who could be freed at the halfway mark of their sentences.

Nearly 9,000 victims of serious violent or sexual offences have already been notified that their attackers may be released early.

Conservative analysis of MoJ figures suggests roughly 2,500 rapists and paedophiles could qualify, with over 100 rapists serving sentences exceeding 15 years among them.

Before Andy Burnham took office as Prime Minister on Monday, sources indicated he was examining potential exemptions for sex offenders and child groomers.

Victims' commissioner Claire Waxman and former Home Office minister Jess Phillips have both demanded such exclusions.

An MoJ spokesman said: "This was a horrific crime, and our deepest sympathies are with Pc Andrew Harper’s family and friends.

"In 2024, the country was facing a prison crisis and a total breakdown of law and order, with judges ordered to stop jailing dangerous criminals.

"This government is committed to public safety: we are building prison places at the fastest rate since the Victorian era, and taking the difficult decisions needed to lock up the most dangerous offenders.”