A GRIEVING mother's hopes of bringing her daughter's self-confessed killer to justice suffered a cruel blow last night after the Government put changes to the double jeopardy law on ice.

A planned Bill to scrap the rule preventing people being tried twice for murder has been shelved, along with other measures to reform the House of Lords and immigration policies.

Ministers have been accused of putting the crucial changes on hold so they can make time for a vote on fox hunting.

The decision has come as a bitter setback to Teesside mother Ann Ming, who has campaigned to have the law changed in a bid to win justice for her murdered daughter Julie Hogg. When Billy Dunlop, from Billingham, was originally charged with Julie's murder, two juries failed to reach a verdict and he was set free, but he later confessed to the crime.

Because of the double jeopardy law, he could not be retried for murder and he was jailed only for perjury. He received a six-year sentence in 2000.

Since then, Julie's family and The Northern Echo have campaigned for a change in the law that would allow a retrial.

On hearing about the Government's decision to delay its planned change to the law on double jeopardy, Mrs Ming said it was appalling that the Government was giving priority to a ban on fox hunting.

She said: "What's more important to the general public - killers on the street or hunting with dogs?

"It's just ridiculous what the Government has done. I feel really let down.

"This man confessed to the killing of our daughter. When are the victims going to get a voice in our country?"

Mrs Ming said she would be meeting local MP Frank Cook next Wednesday. She is also writing a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, which she aims to present to Downing Street.

A Home Office spokeswoman admitted there would be a delay to criminal justice reform originally planned for this session of Parliament.

She said: "Criminal justice reform still remains a policy of this Government. We are still looking at a comprehensive package of reforms and we will continue to work towards a White Paper in the spring."

She added that the Home Office expected to legislate in the next session of Parliament, starting in September