Child killer Dominic McKilligan has failed in his first bid for freedom.
The murderer, who lured Newcastle schoolboy Wesley Neailey to his death, had applied for parole after serving the minimum 20 year term of his life sentence.
But the youngster's family say they have now been told McKilligan will not even be moved to a low security 'open' prison amid fears he is still a danger to the public.
Wesley's mum Liz said she was relieved her boy's killer would not soon be back on the streets, yet she fears he will continue trying to get out of jail.
The 54-year-old said: "He's not getting out, he was wanting to go into an open prison and the Parole Board said 'no' and that he's too dangerous at the minute.
"I'm pleased, but I'm hoping it's not every two years that I have to deal with this now."
Wesley was just 11 when he vanished from near his home, on Croydon Road in Arthur’s Hill, after going out on his bike, in June 1998.
At first Liz thought her son might have just run into some friends.
But as darkness fell, his bike was found abandoned and she knew something dreadful must have happened.
But police initially treated Wesley as a missing person.
In the days that followed the West End community came together to search for the youngster.
But all their efforts were in vain, as Wesley was already dead.
His body was found dumped at a remote spot in Healey, near Hexham.
On July 23, 1999, a jury at Newcastle Crown Court took just two hours and 50 minutes to find McKilligan guilty of murder and rape at the end of a three-week trial.
He was jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years. However, McKilligan later successfully appealed his rape conviction, meaning he will not be on the sex offenders’ register following his release.
ChronicleLive revealed last year how McKilligan applied for parole when he came to the end of his minimum jail term.
And mum-of-two Liz was warned that if successful he could have been released in July.
Liz fears that if her son's killer is freed he could strike again, putting another family through the same devastation.
"It's still hanging over me that he will get out," she said.
"I just don't want another family to go through what we went through."
Former Northumbria Police detective Trevor Fordy lead the investigation into Wesley's murder.
Last year, he told ChronicleLive that from what he knows of McKilligan, the prospect of the killer being released is a frightening one.
He said: "I have never met anyone like this man before.
"I had dealings with lots of murderers, but I had never met anyone like that, and I had come across some very dangerous people. I’m not an expert, but I don’t think he is someone who could be rehabilitated."
Liz told ChronicleLive that she would like to see controversial sex drive lowering drugs, now legal in some US states, administered to all paedophiles released in the UK.
The technique, known as 'chemical castration' was previously championed by now retired Newcastle University professor, Donald Grubin, who claimed the technique could reduce re-offending among sex offenders.
"I think it's right that all paedophiles get chemically castrated," said Liz.
"I would definitely like to see it happen to him if he is released."
