'Our son's killer is posting online from prison'

The parents of a teenager who was stabbed to death have spoken of their anger after discovering his killer has been posting on social media from prison.

Joshua Hall was 17 when he was killed in Cam, near Dursley, in 2020. His killer, who was 15 at the time, was jailed for 14 years.

Six years on, Joshua's parents Kirsty and Michael Hall say seeing images of the killer posing with other prisoners has left them questioning "his remorse" and calling for more time to be added to his sentence.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson (MOJ) said they "they are acting immediately" to find out how this happened, describing it as "totally unacceptable."

Ms Hall said: "Why not go quietly? Why not take your punishment? You took a life – where is your regret? Where is your remorse?"

Images shared with the BBC show the culprit, who we are not naming out of respect for the family, posing with other prisoners inside the jail, despite strict rules banning mobile phones.

The Halls believe the posts are designed to project a "gangster image" and gain kudos.

"I'm extremely angry. It's unacceptable as Joshua's mother. I want real-world consequences," said Ms Hall.

The family said they have struggled to get answers from the MOJ about how the images were taken, what punishment will follow and why the social media account involved remains active.

"It certainly makes the entire justice system and the principles that it is built on seem futile in the eyes of the criminals," Mr Hall said.

"Someone being able to connect with the community in which we live - the community in which our surviving son lives and being able to have a real world impact - you're left clutching for options with how to respond."

Joshua's parents are now calling for extra time to be added to the killer's sentence.

At the time of sentencing, the judge imposed a 14-year term. The Halls say the latest developments demonstrates that was too lenient.

"We want to time added on to the sentence of Josh's murderer. It was lenient in the first place," Mr Hall said.

"Now here's a really good reason to step up on that promise of doing justice by Josh."

"Josh isn't coming home," Ms Hall added.

"But he's not coming home because that individual took a knife and used it in the worst possible way. Not once - six times.

"He's then entered a justice system where he is then allowed real-world access to social media.

"He's glorifying his gangster image."

The posts have since been taken down with and the MoJ have said any offender caught with a phone in prison will face punishment, which could include additional time behind bars.

Having a mobile phone in prison and posting on social media is illegal.

Those caught can face further punishment, including additional restrictions or more time added to their sentence.

The Halls say the images raise wider concerns about whether rules are being properly enforced behind bars.

Last month, Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre raised the issue in Parliament, questioning Justice Secretary David Lammy about how such breaches occur and what action is being taken.

An MOJ spokesperson said, ""Having a phone behind bars is unacceptable. We acted immediately to get this content removed, and we are investigating how this was able to happen."

They added that £40m has been invested in new security measures to clamp down on illegal items so "those who break prison rules can face extra time behind bars".

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.