Two British soldiers jailed for the murder of a Catholic man have had their application for early release turned down.
The Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, last night said the case of Scots Guardsmen Mark Wright and James Fisher would be referred to the Life Sentence Review Board in a year when they had served six years.
The soldiers were involved in the shooting of Mr Peter McBride (18), from the New Lodge area of north Belfast, as he ran away after they stopped him in the street five years ago.
A high-profile campaign, headed by retired Scots Guards officers Gen Murray Naylor and Sir David Scott Barrett, was begun soon after their conviction, arguing that as soldiers they could not be bound by civilian laws.
Mr McBride's mother, Jean, said: "I'm obviously relieved they are not getting out, but I'm not happy that the case is going to the review board again next year. As far as I'm concerned they should serve life.
"Anyone else who did what they did wouldn't be getting out before 10 or 11 years. Why should they? People seem to be more concerned about the soldiers than my son."
When considering the case, Dr Mowlam will have been advised that releasing the men could lead to disturbances in nationalist areas. Following the release of the British paratrooper Lee Clegg, who killed Ms Karen Reilly, a Catholic, in west Belfast, there were days of street violence.
Meanwhile Dr Mowlam also decided that consideration should be given to releasing two west Belfast men on licence when they have served nine years' imprisonment. Sean Kelly and Michael Timmons are in jail on charges relating to events surrounding the murder of two British army corporals in Andersonstown in 1988.