THE FAMILY of murdered schoolgirl Zoe Evans could know by spring how long her killer will remain behind bars.

They were given new hope in a letter from Home Office minister Paul Goggins which said the backlog of cases will be dealt with in order of conviction.

Because soldier Miles Evans was convicted in 1998 for the brutal murder of his nine-year-old stepdaughter, it means his case could be the first to have a minimum sentence set under the new system.

A shake-up in the laws governing the setting of killers' sentences came when the Home Secretary's rights to set tariffs were taken away by a European ruling.

From December 18 High Court judges were made responsible for setting minimum terms in all cases involving an adult convicted of murder.

A child killer could be given what is being termed a whole life tariff under the new guidelines.

Mr Goggins, responding to a letter from west Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison, said Evans' case should be one of the first to be dealt with because of his conviction date.

Personal statements from Zoe's family detailing the impact of the crime on their lives will be handed over to Evans before the minimum term is set.

All decisions on backlogged cases will be heard in open court and Zoe's family will be allowed to attend.

The Probation Victim Liaison Service will notify them of the time and date of the court hearing.

This month marks the seventh anniversary of the Warminster schoolgirl's death.

Her grandmother, Ann Hamilton, who lives in Trowbridge, has been campaigning for a minimum sentence for years, backed by the Wiltshire Times' Justice for Zoe campaign.