A MOTHER is hopeful a new law will be in place in time to prevent her daughter’s killer from being released next year.

Linda Jones’s daughter Danielle was killed by her uncle Stuart Campbell in 2001 after she went missing from Stanford-le-Hope.

Echo:

Jailed for life - Stuart Campbell

Campbell was jailed for life in 2002 after being convicted of her kidnap and murder despite him never revealing where Danielle’s body was.

Last week, Justice Secretary David Gauke said his team are preparing legislation which would give the parole board more powers to refuse release applications from “no body” killers, according to the Mirror.

The law - known as Helen’s Law after 22-year-old Helen McCourt who was killed in 1988 but whose body was never found - could be in place in a matter of months, Linda has been told.

She said: “Obviously we’re over the moon that it’s got this far. We’re a bit disappointed that it won’t make it definite that parole will be denied but at least it gives the parole board the option.

“I think it’s as close as we’re going to get while we are still in the EU and it makes it a strong possibility parole could be refused.

“I understand it’s something that’s going to move quite quickly - a matter of months - but in the political world who knows how long that could actually be.”

Linda, who helped publicise a petition signed by more than 600,000 people, says she is hopeful the legislation will be in place before Campbell is eligible for parole.

She added: “We are feeling very optimistic at the moment. I feel we’re going to start parole hearings [for Campbell] next year as he’s due out in 2022 and this makes us quite positive that we can show he is a danger.

“Helen’s mother Marie has worked tirelessly to make this happen and I’ve helped where I can so this is a momentous time for us.

“It’s been a long hard slog which shouldn’t been that hard but this is a real positive step.”