General election: Child killers to be locked up for life under Tory plans for tougher sentences

Child killers will be locked up for life under plans outlined by the Government.

The Tories pledged to end the system which sees murderers of youngsters become eligible for parole after they have served the minimum tariff set by a sentencing judge.

While courts are duty-bound to set mandatory life terms, most murderers do not serve the rest of their lives behind bars.

However, under the shake up planned by Boris Johnson , adults who commit pre-meditated child murder will remain in jail until they die, with no chance of release.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, a former crown court judge, said: “There can be no more sickening injustice than that of heartbroken parents watching the killer of their child walk free.

Robert Buckland said he wanted to end the "sickening injustice" (PA Wire/PA Images)

“That’s why under a Conservative majority Government the law will be rewritten to be absolutely clear: any murderer who denies a young, innocent child the right to life surrenders their own right to liberty.

“They do so permanently, and they do so without exception.

“There is nothing we can do to take away the pain of the families of murdered children so we must do everything in our power not to compound it.”