The widow of a police officer who was killed near Reading has succeeded in her campaign to ensure offenders who kill an emergency services worker while committing crime are given mandatory life jail sentence.

The Government announced the change, ending a two-year campaign by Lissie Harper after her husband, Andrew Harper, was killed while answering a late-night burglary call in Sulhamstead.

The so-called Harper’s Law is expected to make it onto the statute books via an amendment to the existing Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, meaning it would likely become law early next year.

Read more: Widow of PC Andrew Harper campaigning for new law

Mrs Harper said: “It’s been a long journey and a lot of hard work. I know Andrew would be proud to see Harper’s Law reach this important milestone.”

PC Harper, 28, died from his injuries when he was caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a winding country road as three teenagers fled the scene of a quad bike theft on the night of August 15, 2019.

Henry Long, 19, was sentenced to 16 years and 18-year-olds Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were handed 13 years in custody over the manslaughter of the Thames Valley Police traffic officer.

All three were cleared of murder by the jury.

Mrs Harper, 30, previously said she was “outraged” over the sentences handed to the three teenagers responsible for her husband’s death.

Read more: Police boss welcomes Harper's Law milestone

Announcing the intended law change, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: “We are going to pass into law mandatory life sentences for those who unlawfully kill an emergency worker in the course of their duty.

“I pay tribute to Lissie Harper’s remarkable campaign.

“This Government is on the side of victims and their families and we want our emergency services to know that we’ll always have their back.”

Police officers, National Crime Agency officers, prison officers, custody officers, firefighters and paramedics are all defined as emergency services workers.

The courts must already impose life sentences for murder, although they can also be applied to other violent offences.

A life sentence lasts for the rest of a person’s life.

It means they can be sent back to prison if they commit another offence upon release from custody after serving at least the minimum sentence imposed by the courts.