Julia with Laura and William and husband AlanTHE Home Office has revealed that it will be carrying out a murder review into the killing of Julia Pemberton and her son William who were shot dead by her estranged husband.

This comes after her family from the Swindon area lobbied Parliament to get a review into police procedure leading up to the killings.

The pair were murdered at their £1m Berkshire home by Alan Pemberton who then shot himself.

The Pembertons previously lived at Castle Eaton, near Swindon.

A home office spokesman said: "The Home Office will be talking to all local agencies about how to take the review forward and what the terms of reference should be and, where possible, will include the family of Julia Pemberton in its deliberations."

Last week Thames Valley Police's chief constable Peter Neyroud announced his willingness to have a review.

Mrs Pemberton's brother Frank Mullane, from Old Town, has been acting as the spokesman for the family campaigning for the review.

He believes Thames Valley Police failed to take steps to prevent the killings.

The murders came after a series of incidents which family members believe should have been recognised as clear alarm bells.

At the time of the tragedy Mr Pemberton was the subject of a court order banning him from going anywhere near the family home in Hermitage, near Newbury.

Last month Mr Mullane, accompanied by his niece Laura, met Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland to call for a review.

The scope of the procedure, which is expected to bring together all of the agencies which dealt with the case, has yet to be agreed.

The case is one of the first to be examined under the review procedure introduced in the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004.

Family's view

The family are pleased that, following the meeting with Baroness Patricia Scotland, Minister of State at the Home Office, and her subsequent conversation with Peter Neyroud the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, there will now be a formal homicide review.

This review will examine all the circumstances surrounding Julie, William and Alan Pemberton's deaths in order to ensure lessons are learned that will improve the policing of, and other agency responses to, domestic violence and improve firearms policing.

The family are looking forward to working closely with the Home Office to frame the terms of reference, to collaborating in the assessment and appointment of a suitable chairperson and participating fully in this review, including giving evidence.

We will keep pushing so that this review has to address the numerous system failures of Thames Valley Police during this tragedy.

Our aim is to ensure Thames Valley Police learn the lessons and implement an appropriate policy in their handling of domestic violence situations in the future and their firearms policy is changed.

We remain unconvinced the firearms review after the Highmoor tragedy has made the differences we anticipate are required.

We believe if Thames Valley Police had responded appropriately and professionally to this case of domestic violence, this tragedy could have been avoided.

The family would like to thank Julia Drown, former Labour MP for South Swindon, Baroness Patricia Scotland, Minister of State, Sandra Horley of Refuge, John Latham, our solicitor and his colleague Deborah Von Kohler, and all media, for their valued assistance in gaining this review.

Jamie Hill