Mum of murdered Lancashire nurse in tears as Sir Keir Starmer vows to toughen sentences

Video report by ITV Granada Reports political correspondent Lise McNally.

Sir Keir Starmer has praised a couple from Lancashire for their campaign to change the law after the brutal murder of their daughter more than decade ago.

Jane Clough was stabbed 71 times in July 2010 in the staff car park at Blackpool Victoria Hospital as she arrived for her shift.

Miss Clough's killer, Jonathan Vass, was on bail on charges of raping her and she had kept a diary that detailed his abuse and her fears he would take revenge. He was jailed for life.

Her parents, Penny and John Clough, campaigned for a change in the bail act to protect victims from abusers awaiting trial and have helped found the safe haven Jane’s Place.

In his first speech to Labour's conference as leader, Starmer said under a Labour Government cases similar to Miss Clough's would be fast-tracked, and that he would toughen up sentences for perpetrators.

Watch the moment parents of Jane, John and Penny, got a standing ovation at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton.

He said: "I honestly don't know how I would cope if anything happened to one of our children, but I do know I am humbled by John, by Penny and by Doreen (Lawrence), and that's why under my leadership, the fight against crime will always be a Labour issue.

"Labour will strengthen legal protections for victims of crime, we will not walk around the problem, we will fix it.."

Mrs Clough had tears in her eyes as she and her husband stood to applause from Labour members.

Starmer added: "We will fast-track rape and serious sexual assault cases and we will toughen sentences for rapists, stalkers and domestic abusers."