PC Andrew Harper's killers are expected to be excluded from the early release scheme, as the Ministry of Justice is planning a law change which will stop them from being freed.Criminals convicted of a certain type of manslaughter will no longer be eligible for early release – including Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, according to reports.It is thought that Bowers and Cole will be blocked through a law change which will exempt those convicted of 'unlawful act' manslaughter – where a person causes death while committing an illegal act – from being released early. Andy Burnham previously pledged to do 'everything possible' to ensure the pair were not freed from prison early following this year's Sentencing Act, which is due to come in to force on October 1 to tackle overcrowding in jails.He ordered a review of the early prisoner release scheme, which Justice Secretary Alex Norris is carrying out and will be published when Parliament returns from summer recess next month.Mr Norris was asked 'to develop a plan to maximise public safety and minimise the early release of prisoners'.Police chiefs have since been told Mr Norris will introduce secondary legislation to amend the Sentencing Act, it is now claimed, to block 'unlawful act' manslaughter convictions.Bowers and Cole, two of PC Harper's three killers, were passengers in the car that dragged the police officer down a country road after he got caught in a strap attached to the vehicle as they fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in 2019.Under the early release scheme's current rules, they would be released next year, just halfway through their 13-year sentences. The driver Henry Long, who was sent to prison for 16 years, is not eligible for early release. PC Andrew Harper was killed in August 2019 when responding to a quad bike theft in Berkshire PC Harper's killers Albert Bowers (left) and Jessie Cole (right), pictured outside court in 2020Labour's early release scheme started in September 2024 with the aim of easing overcrowding in jails.It allows certain prisoners to be released after serving 40 per cent of their fixed-term sentence, rather than the usual 50 per cent.The 2026 Sentencing Act, which became law earlier this year, allows for an expansion of the early release scheme by reducing the threshold from 40 per cent of a fixed-term sentence to a third.Since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Burnham has excluded rapists and child sex offenders from being eligible for the scheme following widespread condemnation.Some 5,000 people are now expected to be released early under sentencing changes under the Government's scheme, down from 6,000 after Mr Burnham's two exemptions were put in place.Unlawful act manslaughter is when a person causes the death of another while committing a separate illegal act.The proposed exemption is not expected to cover voluntary manslaughter, which is an intentional killing that has a partial defence such as sudden provocation; or gross negligence manslaughter, when extreme carelessness causes a death.Domestic abusers may also still be eligible for early release, reported the Telegraph.It comes after a former leading judge indicated that exempting a type of manslaughter from the scheme could be a solution to prevent the release of PC Harper's killers. Justice Secretary Alex Norris is carrying out a review of the early release scheme Labour's early release scheme started in September 2024 with the aim of easing overcrowding in jails. A police officer and inmates are pictured outside Brixton Prison in London that monthLord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, who previously served as lord chief justice of England and Wales, said the rule change could be workable in practice.He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme earlier this month: 'People are found guilty of manslaughter in three different circumstances. One, because they've been charged with murder and have a specific defence.'Secondly, because they have committed an act which is grossly negligent that has resulted in death.'And thirdly, involuntary manslaughter… where there's been an unlawful act such as a punch, someone's fallen over, hit his head on the curb, and died. That is the unlawful act manslaughter which they're seeking to exempt. So it is quite possible to distinguish the three types of manslaughter.'A Government spokesman said: 'The death of PC Andrew Harper was a horrific crime. Our thoughts are with his family and friends, and we share the anger from the police community that we are in this position.'The Prime Minister has asked the Justice Secretary to work through further options to keep a greater number of the most serious offenders in prison, including the killers of PC Harper.'Thanks to tireless campaigning by Andrew's family, Harper's Law means that anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker whilst committing a crime now gets a mandatory life sentence.'This Government has gone further by introducing a presumption that anyone convicted of murdering a police, prison or probation officer is handed a whole-life order.'