Fifty police leaders across the UK signed a letter. This included every chief constable in England and Wales.

They urged Andy Burnham to block early release for Harper's killers. The letter warned this could weaken trust in the justice system.

Unions warned about Burnham's emergency plan for more jail space. They said it could cause confusion or wrongly free prisoners.

Reports say ministers considered other ways to ease prison overcrowding. They wanted to keep serious offenders in custody.

Options included releasing lower-risk prisoners and speeding up deportations. Ministers also considered using women's prison space for male inmates. This shows the prison-capacity problem remains unresolved.