The head of the Parole Board was dramatically sacked today over failings in the John Worboys case.
Nick Hardwick said that he had been told by Justice Secretary David Gauke that his position was untenable.
He said that he would not “pass the buck” but hit out with a warning that his dismissal raised “serious questions” about the Parole Board’s independence.
“I am sorry for the mistakes that were made in this case but I have always made it clear that I will support the members and staff of the Board in the very difficult individual decisions they make and I will accept accountability for the work of the Board,” he states in a letter to Mr Gauke.
But he adds: “I believe this matter raises very troubling questions about how the Board's independence can be safeguarded."
Mr Hardwick’s departure was announced moments before High Court judges overturned the board's decision and blocked Worboys' release following a successful challenge by victims.
Judge Sir Brian Leveson said the board had erred in basing its assessment of the serial sex attacker only on his explanation of the offences he was convicted on rather than the also taking into account the dozens of allegations made against him.
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