Many families are missing a loved one this Christmas because he or she is in jail. A grim festive season behind bars is one of the consequences of breaking the law, and inmates are usually resigned to their lot.

This year, however, Britain's prisoners and their families will feel bitterly angry. They have been left to languish in jail while convicted terrorists enjoy a 12-day holiday.

Some of those locked up throughout the Christmas and Millennium celebrations have committed comparatively minor offences, such as shoplifting or non-payment of their television licence. They can only watch as men who have maimed and killed are allowed emotional reunions with their families.

Among the convicted terrorists allowed out today was James McCardle, who brought death and destruction to London with the Docklands bomb. Even Michael Stone, who killed mourners at a funeral, is out of jail.

These are odious men who have shown a flagrant disrespect for human life. Their terrible crimes would normally mean they had forfeited any right to special privileges.

Without doubt, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson's decision to allow hundreds of terrorists home for Christmas will upset many people. It is a particularly unhappy time for the families of victims of Irish terrorism who have been permanently deprived of their loved ones for this and every Christmas.

We must also spare a thought for the family of murdered Special Constable Glenn Goodman. They are facing another Christmas without him, this year with the added heartache of knowing that his killer, Paul Magee, has already been given a temporary release from jail.

Magee should not have been included in the peace process negotiations. He is not a political prisoner, he is a cold-blooded murderer.

But the decision to allow out republican and loyalist terrorists today, however repulsive it may seem, is a necessary measure. A lasting and stable peace can only be built in Northern Ireland with concessions and forgiveness on all sides.

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