James Bulger's mum insists Jon Venables 'should never be back on the streets' ahead of parole hearing

James Bulger's mum insists Jon Venables should 'never be allowed back in our streets' after the Parole Board confirmed he would be considered for release. Child killer Venables, 40, murdered two-year-old James alongside Robert Thompson in February 1993.

The pair abducted the toddler from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, before torturing and killing him. Venables and Thompson served eight years in juvenile detention before being released aged 18 in 2001.

But unlike his accomplice, Venables has twice been locked up in adult prison for possession of sick images of child sexual abuse. Following the announcement yesterday (September 20) that Venables could be a free man by Christmas, James' mum Denise Fergus told the Mirror the prospect of him leaving prison is 'frightening'.

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She said: “Jon Venables is still one of the biggest dangers to this country. I have no doubt he will offend again if released.

"Hearing the news about my son’s killer’s parole is still shocking to me. He should never be allowed back in our streets and the prospect that could happen is obviously frightening.”

Venables and Thompson were 10 years old when they dragged James from a shopping centre to rail tracks two miles away and beat him to death. The pair were released on licence with new identities in 2001.

But Venables was recalled to jail in 2010 and 2017 for having child sex abuse images. The second time he got 40 months and he was refused parole in 2020.

In November, he will be quizzed by a parole panel in a private hearing,