One of the men convicted over the death of PC Andrew Harper has been described as a serious danger inside prison despite being among those potentially eligible for an early release scheme designed to ease overcrowding.

Jessie Cole, who was sentenced alongside Albert Bowers to 13 years in prison for the manslaughter of the police officer, could reportedly be released as early as January under controversial changes to the prison system.

The prospect has triggered renewed anger from police officers, politicians and victims’ campaigners, particularly because Cole is reportedly still being held in one of Britain’s highest-security prisons.

PC Harper, 28, died in August 2019 after being dragged behind a car while attempting to stop a group of teenagers who had stolen a quad bike in Berkshire.

The officer, who was based in Thames Valley Police and lived in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, was responding to the theft when he became entangled with the vehicle.

Henry Long, who was driving the car, received a longer 16-year sentence and is not currently eligible for the same early release arrangements.

Cole and Bowers, however, were each sentenced to 13 years after being convicted of manslaughter.

Now, reports about Cole’s behaviour behind bars have added another explosive dimension to the controversy.

The 29-year-old is reportedly being held at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire, a high-security prison, because authorities consider him unsuitable for transfer to a more open environment.

According to reports, prison records classify Cole as “violent” and identify him as a “risk to staff”. He has also reportedly been described as a “climber”, a term associated with concerns about behaviour and influence within the prison environment.

Sources have claimed that Cole remains classified as a Category A prisoner, the highest security classification used for prisoners considered to pose a serious risk.

One source cited in reports questioned why someone with such assessments attached to his prison record could even be considered for early release.

“Jessie should never have been considered for early release because of his crime,” the source reportedly said.

The source also claimed that Cole’s behaviour inside prison demonstrated why releasing him prematurely could create additional concerns.

The allegations are particularly significant because the proposed changes are intended to reduce pressure on an overcrowded prison system. Under the plans, many prisoners serving standard sentences would become eligible for release earlier than originally expected.

The controversy has intensified because the proposed rules could affect offenders whose crimes have caused enormous public outrage, even when those prisoners remain within the technical eligibility requirements of the scheme.

PC Harper’s family has been among those demanding that his killers be excluded.

The campaign has gained considerable public support, with an online petition calling for the two men to be prevented from securing early release reportedly passing one million signatures.

The scale of the petition has added to mounting political pressure on Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Burnham has already ordered an urgent review of the controversial plans amid widespread backlash.

The government has indicated that changes to sentencing and release arrangements are necessary because of severe overcrowding across the prison estate. But critics argue that the need to create additional capacity cannot come at the expense of victims’ families or public safety.

Under the proposed arrangements, changes expected from October 1 would mean many adults serving standard prison sentences could be released earlier than the date previously calculated.

Some prisoners convicted of less serious offences were also expected to become eligible for release after serving one-third of their sentence.

That has raised questions about whether particularly serious offenders should be treated differently.

PC Harper’s case has become one of the most powerful examples used by opponents of the policy.

His death shocked the country because of the circumstances in which the young officer was killed.

Harper had been trying to stop a group of teenagers who had been involved in a quad bike theft when he became caught behind their vehicle.

The car continued driving, dragging him along the road.

Despite efforts by emergency services, he died from his injuries.

The three men involved were later convicted, with Long receiving the longest sentence.

Cole and Bowers were convicted of manslaughter and given 13-year terms.

For Harper’s loved ones, the idea that two of those responsible could return to the community significantly earlier than expected has been deeply painful.

Pressure on the government has now gone beyond campaign groups and victims’ relatives.

Senior police officers have also intervened.

An open letter signed by dozens of high-ranking officers called on the government to examine every lawful option for preventing the early release of those responsible for Harper’s death.

The intervention is highly unusual and reflects the depth of concern within policing about how future changes to sentencing arrangements could affect victims and officers’ families.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson and Police and Crime Commissioner Pete O’Doherty were among those who put their names to the letter.

The officers made three central demands.

First, they called for every available legal mechanism to be examined to determine whether the earlier release of Harper’s killers could be prevented.

Second, they asked the government to introduce additional safeguards for public protection in cases involving the most serious offenders whenever sentencing or release rules are changed.

Third, they argued that victims and bereaved families must be properly considered before major changes to sentencing arrangements are introduced.

The message was clear: prison policy should not be changed without considering the consequences for those directly affected by serious crimes.

Burnham has attempted to reassure critics.

The Prime Minister has said he is increasingly confident that the men convicted over Harper’s death will not ultimately be released early.

But those assurances have not stopped demands for concrete action.

The open letter was published despite Burnham’s comments, suggesting that police leaders and victims’ campaigners want more than political assurances.

They want the government to establish a clear legal mechanism preventing cases such as Harper’s from being swept into a wider early-release programme.

The issue is also becoming a test of how the government intends to balance prison capacity against public protection.

The prison estate has faced intense pressure, with overcrowding creating a need for urgent action.

But the proposal to release prisoners earlier has proved politically explosive because eligibility can encompass offenders whose crimes remain particularly difficult for the public to accept.

For Harper’s family, the debate is not simply about prison numbers or sentencing formulas.

It is about the meaning of the sentence handed down after their son’s death.

If prisoners released early are able to return to their communities before victims’ families expected them to, relatives may feel that the punishment originally imposed by the courts has effectively been reduced.

The controversy surrounding Cole has added another layer to those concerns.

If reports about his prison classification are accurate, campaigners argue that his alleged behaviour behind bars should itself be considered when deciding whether he is suitable for early release.

A prisoner reportedly classified as violent and considered a danger to staff presents a very different public protection question from someone convicted of a less serious offence who has demonstrated good behaviour during imprisonment.

That distinction is likely to remain central to the government’s review.

Meanwhile, the petition supporting a block on early release has demonstrated just how strongly the public feels about the issue.

Harper’s name has become a rallying point for those who believe sentencing reforms should contain explicit protections for victims of the most serious crimes.

His mother has also made an emotional appeal for the government to act, urging Burnham not to allow the family to become casualties of a system struggling with overcrowding.

The wider debate is unlikely to disappear quickly.

The government still faces the practical problem of overcrowded prisons, while victims’ families are demanding guarantees that public safety and justice will not be sacrificed in the search for additional prison space.

For PC Harper’s family, however, the argument is painfully simple.

Their son left home to protect the public and never returned.

The men convicted over his death remain behind bars, but the possibility that some could walk free earlier than expected has reopened wounds that never fully healed.

Now, with senior police officers demanding action, a petition surpassing one million signatures and the Prime Minister promising a review, the government faces mounting pressure to decide whether the rules can — and should — be changed to ensure that the killers of PC Andrew Harper serve the sentences his family believed they had been given.