Andy Burnham talks with staff during a visit to a supermarket last week. The killers of PC Andrew Harper will not be released early from prison after a major U-turn by Andy Burnham. The prime minister announced on Sunday morning that anyone convicted of unlawful killing, including manslaughter, will not be eligible for the early release scheme. Burnham said that meants “hundreds” of inmates who had been due to be let out early will now stay behind bars. It represents a major climbdown by the prime minister, who had previously said he could not amend the policy because of the risk of prison overcrowding. Earlier this month, Burnham ordered justice secretary Alex Norris to come up with a way to prevent the early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bower, who were convicted of manslaughter for their part in PC Harper’s killing in 2000. The pair were due to be freed in January under controversial measures to stop prisons running out of spaces. Burnham was hit with a furious backlash since it emerged that Norris and Cole would benefit from the early release scheme. Downing Street initially said it was “not possible” to exempt “one or two offenders” convicted of manslaughter from the scheme. But confirming the U-turn, the PM said: “We spent the summer turning over every single single stone. “We’ve come up with a proposal that will allow not just those guilty of manslaughter, the people involved in the killing of PC Harper, but those who have been convicted for indecent assault, those convicted for death by dangerous driving, all of these offenders now will remain in prison. Hundreds of them.” Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Police Chiefs Pile Pressure On Burnham To Block Early Release Of Police Officer's Killers Andy Burnham Orders Minister To Find Way To Keep Police Officer's Killers In Jail 'We Are Devastated': Mother Of Dead Police Officer Furious As Killers Freed Early