Harsh? Maybe. Deserved? Definitely. Ronnie Biggs should serve the rest of his prison term in prison, even if it means that he dies there. It’s a very rare day that I find myself agreeing with Jack Straw, but for once I’m in 100% agreement.

Biggs is scum. There’s nothing romantic about what he did all those years ago, much as the simple liberal chattering classes may claim otherwise. A man was viciously beaten, never worked again and died prematurely as a result of this vicious robbery. The gang involved were sadistic scum who took pleasure in beating the defenceless man.

We were told that when Biggs returned to this country in 2001 he was in ill-health, had months to live and should be allowed to die a free man. Lies. Utter lies. He is still alive eight long years later. Every time the liberal chattering classes mount a publicity campaign for his release we are told that Biggs has days to live (2001, 2005, 2007, 2009). And when public outrage dictates that he should remain in prison, he suddenly makes a Lazarus-like recovery from death’s door.

Thank goodness Jack Straw has the sense to ignore the liberal dominated parole board’s recommendation to release this vile criminal, who is wholly unrepentant of his crimes and who has served less than a third of the sentence. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.