A MOTHER has received an apology after she got a letter offering her murdered son education opportunities at the college where his killer studied.

Liz Neailey said she felt violently ill when she opened the letter from Newcastle College, which suggested she consider sending her son, Wesley, who would have been 15 this year, to study there.

Wesley was murdered in June 1998 by convicted paedophile Dominic McKilligan, a music student at the college.

Mrs Neailey said: "It's the last place I would have sent him knowing that McKilligan went there.

"I just couldn't believe it when I opened it, with all the Press coverage I had when Wesley was murdered. It knocked me for six and made me feel violently sick."

The college has apologised and said it used a commercial mailing list company to send letters to parents of 15 and 16-year-olds in the city.

Mrs Neailey, 34, of Fenham, Newcastle, said companies should keep more up-to-date records.

A college spokesman said: "Newcastle College would like to apologise to Mrs Neailey for the distress caused."

He said the mailing list company had been informed of the mistake.