Notorious murderer Simms could be set free today

Simms abducted and murdered Helen McCourt in 1988 but has never revealed what he did with the 22-year-old’s remains.

Her mother Marie is facing an agonising wait for the parole board’s decision and fears she will never be able to bury her daughter if he is released.

She described Simms as “sick” and compared him to Moors Murderer Ian Brady for denying Helen a proper burial and funeral.

“It’s the only thing, it’s the last thing I can do for my daughter,” she said.

“No mother wants to bury their child but not to be able to do that when you know they’re gone and can’t come back - the pain of that is indescribable.

“The pain is still here and it hurts so much.”

Mrs McCourt, 72, is campaigning for the law to be changed, denying killers who withhold that information the chance of freedom.

She said: “It’s a sick thing, it’s like he’s stolen my daughter’s body.

“He killed her and he’s now holding on to where her body is - he’s the only person who knows.

“It’s a very dangerous thing for our communities because killers are being put back in the community.

“This law has to be done, the Government can’t ignore it.”

Mrs McCourt will take her petition for “Helen’s Law”, which has more than 300,000 signatures on Change.org, to Downing Street on Thursday.

“The hard thing is that there’s no grave to go to and place flowers on,” she said.

“If this man is released, he knows where Helen’s body is buried and he could go back to the spot where she is.

“It’s like a trophy for him. It’s total sickness and sick people like that are dangerous and can’t be released.

“I want him to know that he’s not kidding me and I’m going to fight to keep him in.”

Simms, formerly a pub landlord, was convicted by overwhelming DNA evidence of murdering Helen McCourt in Billinge, near Wigan.