Helen McCourt's mum in legal bid to block daughter's killer's release

Helen McCourt was murdered by Ian Simms in 1988

A woman whose 22-year-old daughter was murdered has begun legal proceedings to block the release of her killer.

Ian Simms, 63, who murdered Helen McCourt in Billinge, Merseyside in 1988, is due for release from jail after the Parole Board rejected an appeal by the justice secretary.

Papers requesting a judicial review have been lodged by Marie McCourt at the High Court.

The Parole Board confirmed the case was now "under judicial review".

Ian Simms, pictured here in 1988, was jailed for murder

Simms, who never admitted his guilt, killed Ms McCourt as she walked home from work in Liverpool.

Mrs McCourt has talked of her "horror" at the possibility of Simms being released without revealing where her daughter's body was, and urged the government to introduce Helen's Law, legislation denying parole to killers who did not disclose where their victims' remains were.

She said: "He's tortured us all these years so why should he be allowed out to torture us even more?"

A parliamentary bill recently ran out of time, when the general election was called.