Carr moved ahead of release from prison

MAXINE CARR was moved from prison to a temporary secure address yesterday ahead of her release, the British Home Office confirmed last night.

Carr, 27, former girlfriend of Soham murderer Ian Huntley, was transferred from HMP Foston Hall, near Derby, before being released fully on licence at the end of the week.

A Home Office spokesman also confirmed documents relating to her, and the start of her new life, were stolen from a Home Office official's car.

But he stressed the theft had no impact on Carr's release.

The spokesman said the parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were told of the move privately before it was made public.

Carr will remain the responsibility of the Prison Service until tomorrow after which she will be supervised by the National Probation Service, the Home Office spokesman said.

She was jailed in December last year for 42 months after being convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Carr provided a false alibi for Huntley by lying to police over her whereabouts on the weekend he murdered schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The Home Office full statement read: "The Home Office can confirm that early today Maxine Carr was transferred from HMP Foston Hall to a new location.

"Until Friday, she will remain the responsibility of the Prison Service.

"Thereafter she will be supervised on licence by the National Probation Service.

"We can confirm that documents relating to her were among items of property stolen from a car belonging to a Home Office official.

"All the documents were recovered by police a short time later.

"The theft had no impact whatsoever on the transfer. The Home Office has a duty of care towards Maxine Carr as well as a duty to prevent public disorder.

"We ask the media to respect those two obligations."

It is believed Carr will live in a council flat with her mother at a secret location following her release.

The former teaching assistant, who worked in the primary school where Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were pupils, is thought to be returning to her native North East and possibly given a new identity.

She had been due for final release on Monday and has been in custody since she was arrested with Huntley two weeks after Holly and Jessica were murdered in August 2002.

Solicitors for fellow inmates at Foston Hall said visits at the prison had been suspended for 48 hours ahead of Carr's transfer to secure accommodation.

On Monday, she was ordered to complete a three-year community rehabilitation order by Nottingham Crown Court after admitting benefit fraud and lying in job applications.

Carr pleaded guilty to 20 counts of deception and will be supervised by a probation officer until May 2007. As part of her sentence she will report on a weekly, fortnightly then monthly basis to probation staff until the order ends.