Helen McCourt: Mum's relief at hidden body killer's parole review

A woman whose daughter's killer has never revealed where her body is said she is relieved he will not be freed before Christmas.

Ian Simms, 63, was jailed for 16 years in 1989 after killing Helen McCourt as she walked home from work in Billinge.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has now asked the Parole Board to review its decision to sanction his release.

Marie McCourt, who has campaigned to keep Simms in jail until Helen is found, welcomed the news.

"I was really happy when I heard about it," she said.

"I was panicking over this man being released so soon - and when I say so soon from having attended the parole board hearing, and coming just before Christmas, that made it even more difficult."

The review process is expected to take about three weeks, meaning Mr Simms will not be released before Christmas.

Mrs McCourt has been a long-time campaigner for 'Helen's Law', which would deny parole to killers who refuse to disclose the location of hidden bodies.

The bill recently ran out of time, when the general election was called.

Speaking on the BBC's BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme , Mrs McCourt gave a personal message to her daughter's killer: "Please just let me give my daughter a proper burial, let me have her back. She belongs to me, and not you.

"Once you do that, then you can start going to classes to correct your offending behaviour, which you haven't done so far and then maybe in future you could come out with no protestations from me."