Ronnie Biggs

I am appalled by Jack Straw's decision to release Ronnie Biggs on compassionate grounds. Given he has never showed any remorse for his crime; added to his original offence by escaping from prison (also a crime); and then spent most of the last 46 years sticking two fingers up not just to the police, courts and Ministers, but to the rest of us, it is a deeply flawed decision.

The damaging message this decision sends out is that if you are sentenced to 30 years in prison, you can decide to serve only 10 years, and the 10 years which are most convenient for you. This was not a good day for justice in our country.