Lisa Skidmore: Probation worker sacked after rape murder

Lisa Skidmore was strangled by convicted sex offender Leroy Campbell

A probation worker has been sacked for gross misconduct after a convicted sex offender raped and murdered a woman, the BBC has been told.

Leroy Campbell, 57, raped and strangled Lisa Skidmore, attempted to murder her elderly mother and then set fire to a property in Wolverhampton in 2016.

It is understood another probation worker involved with Campbell has been demoted to an administrative role.

Both were suspended in September after a damning watchdog review.

The review into Ms Skidmore's murder found the probation service should have acted to protect the public from Campbell, who was released from prison four months before the attack and had told probation workers he was thinking of raping again.

He killed Ms Skidmore just weeks after those conversations, the review found.

Between that review and December, a supervisor who worked with Campbell was sacked for gross misconduct and a probation officer found guilty of serious misconduct was demoted to an administrative role.

Leroy Campbell had a string of previous convictions for offences including rape and burglary

A report published on Thursday found more needs to be done to protect the public from sex offenders.

Inspectors for the prison and probation services found the public were not sufficiently protected and much of the work in custody to address sexual reoffending was said to be "poor".

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Ms Skidmore's sister Alison told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his lack of rehabilitation was "unbelievable".

"When Mr Campbell was released from prison he only had a strict curfew for a week," she said.

"Really, that curfew just for a week was unbelievable, and then he was reduced down to nothing.

"Any rehabilitation he should have had, he never had in prison. The government aren't supporting the criminals out in the community at all because they don't have the resources."

The government has promised to tackle the "very serious" concerns raised in the report.