Judge: New identity of Venables must remain secret

THE new identity of killer Jon Venables must be kept secret because of the “compelling evidence” of a threat to his safety, a judge said yesterday.

Mr Justice Bean ruled that “unpopular” defendants had as much right to protection from retribution as anyone else.

Venables, one of the killers of toddler James Bulger, was jailed for two years last week after admitting child pornography offences.