Balanced News: Murderer was left free to kill after probation blunders

A multiple child murderer was left free to kill after “appalling” blunders by the Probation Service, The Telegraph can reveal. It can now be disclosed that a probation officer who assessed Bendall’s record for the sentencing judge in the arson case has been sacked for gross misconduct after miscategorising him as “medium risk” rather than “high risk”. The revelations raise fresh questions about the adequacy of Britain’s Probation Service after a report in September found that around 500 serious offences a year were being committed by offenders under supervision.