PRISON Service officials were tight lipped last night about a convicted child killer's legal challenge to his North-East prison sentence.

Manchester bus driver Darren Vickers was jailed for life in 1999 for abducting and murdering eight-year-old Jamie Lavis.

He is one of three prisoners in Frankland Prison, Durham City, who have been granted a judicial review over the jail's incentives and earned privileges scheme.

Vickers, rapist David Gorman and a third unnamed prisoner, claim they lose out because they continue to protest their innocence.

The scheme is designed to encourage good behaviour, and offers privileges such as more contact with family and friends.

They say they are in a Catch-22 situation because they must address their offending by going on a sex offender treatment programme which requires them to admit guilt.

Gorman and Vickers, who was alleged to have sexually abused his victim, say they had enhanced status and privileges at their previous prisons, but were downgraded to standard at Frankland.

Leave for a judicial review has been granted by Mr Justice Moses and it is expected a hearing will be held in October or November.

A Prison Service spokesman said: "We note this decision and can't say any more about it."