Instead, Longford finds himself being challenged by a man who berates him for campaigning for Myra Hindley's release from prison, particularly as she has recently confessed to another two killings which had remained unsolved for more than twenty years.

When he visits her, she asks for books, but also for him to arrange for her to meet Ian Brady, her former partner who is equally serving a life sentence for having committed three murders.

The question remains of whether Hindley is indeed reformed, for example, in her decision to convert to Longford's own Roman Catholic faith, or whether she is merely manipulating him and feigning her rehabilitation in an attempt to boost her chances of parole.

Longford, driven by his deep religious belief that all people are ultimately good and can be reformed if they have sinned, decides to continue on his course, despite heavy criticism from the public, tabloid media, politicians and even from his own family.

Ann West died in February 1999, shortly after Hindley's unsuccessful second appeal against a Home Office ruling to keep her in prison for the rest of her life.

He does so during a radio interview regarding a book he has had published in the late 1980s, during which a number of callers berate Longford for his support of Myra Hindley, and demand to know whether he regrets his campaigning now that new facts have emerged.

Privately, he is depicted as being affected by doubts, particularly when he listens to the audio tape recording of Lesley Ann Downey being abused during the minutes leading up to her death.