One of the two killers of James Bulger has been granted a private hearing to decide whether he should be released from prison.
It means Jon Venables’ hearing before a Parole Board panel next month will take place behind closed doors.
The board will decide if Venables is safe to live in the community or whether he must remain in jail.
The plan for a private hearing was challenged by journalists and James’ mother, who argued it should be public.