A police federation is threatening to take legal action against Andy Burnham's 'unforgivable decision' to allow the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers. PC Harper, a Thames Valley Police officer, was killed in August 2019 when responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire. 'The fact they will be released early feels perverse,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Some 5,000 people are now expected to be released early under the new Sentencing Act, down from 6,000 after Mr Burnham exempted rapists and child sex offenders. Talking about the early release scheme exemptions, he added: 'We wanted to go further.