Child killer's freedom bid uses art at Festival Hall

A child murderer is using a sculpture he created behind bars that is on display at the Royal Festival Hall in his appeal against his sentence.

Colin Pitchfork, 49, was named today as the artist behind the paper model of a miniature orchestra, made from a manuscript of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

The Royal Festival Hall bought the artwork, entitled Bringing Music To Life, for £1,500 last autumn.

Pitchfork, who raped and killed two schoolgirls, made hundreds of pounds from the sale and is using his artistic merits to try to win immediate release from the life term he received in 1988.

The relatives of his victims, Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, are campaigning against his attempts to prove he is a reformed character.

High Court judge Mr Justice Grigson said while Pitchfork had made "exceptional" progress, his crimes were so horrific he must remain locked up.

Pitchfork's lawyers say he should be eligible for release after 20 years as his trial judge seemed to recommend.

His sculpture was sold to the Festival Hall through the Koestler Trust charity, which gives 50 per cent of fees to the prisoner, puts 40 per cent back into the trust and gives 10 per cent to Victim Support. Chief executive Tim Robertson said: "It's not relevant to us what the person's offence is. What's relevant to us is how good the art is."