THE father of a Worcestershire paperboy murdered by a sex fiend is bracing himself for a letter saying his son's killer has been freed.

Homosexual Victor Miller may take advantage of the Human Rights Act, which means he would be considered for release after serving barely half his sentence.

He was convicted of murdering 14-year-old Stuart Gough in 1988. Stuart had been sexually abused and hit on the head with a rock before being dumped near the Malvern Hills.

"Because of the Human Rights Act we dread a letter will come through the letter box saying this murderer will be released," said Geoff Gough, who has immersed himself into charity work since his son's death.

"Every day it gets worse. It's like a spectre hanging over us continually and we're living on tenterhooks. The only way I can deal with the living torment is by keeping busy day and night and I'm doing as much as I can to help other people."

Mr Gough, of Worcester Road, Hagley, has recently launched a new Heartstart UK course in Bromsgrove, which teaches the public resuscitation skills.

He is president of Hagley Community Association and an active member of Victim Support. He helps the Scouts in his area and belongs to St John Ambulance.

"Tony Warren, who was chief inspector of West Mercia Police at the time of Stuart's murder, gave us so much support that I vowed to help him when the time was right," Mr Gough explained.

"He is chairman of the Bromsgrove branch of Victim Support and I want to give something back."

Mr Gough said the thing which kept him going was a letter he received from the then Home Secretary, Jack Straw in 1997, assuring him that Miller would serve at least 25 years of a life sentence. His sentence would then be looked at every five years.

But Lord Woolf, the Lord Chief Justice, has suggested that because of the new Act, politicians may no longer have the power to impose sentence tariffs for adult murderers.

"That letter took a load off our minds but since the introduction of the new Act, we've been in turmoil," Mr Gough added. "If the man who killed my son is released it will break our hearts."

6 Opinion: P9