Bulger killer 'will never be honoured'

A report in the Sun says that Robert Thompson, one of James Bulger's killers, has been nominated for an award set up in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Officials at the secure unit where Thompson is being held have put the 18-year-old forward for an award for outstanding achievement, the newspaper said.

But Lindsay Mackie, director of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award for Young People, has insisted that one of the toddler's killers would never be honoured by the organisation.

She said: "Someone from a secure unit did contact us a few months ago about a group of their pupils but Thompson was never mentioned.

"There is no question of an award being given to a murderer.

"We are looking at extending the award to encourage certain other categories, possibly into the youth service, or children's homes, as it is done through secondary schools at present, but obviously an award to someone such as Thompson would be completely inappropriate."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education and Employment said: "This is not the purpose of these awards."