PETER FELL, the man who spent 18 years in jail for two murders he did not commit, has blasted police for not re-opening their inquiry.

He spoke out today - one year after he was cleared of the killings.

The move came as Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said he wanted a full investigation to find the real killer and an inquiry into how police could get it so wrong in the first place.

Peter, a former soldier who was brought up in Great Harwood, had his life sentences for the 1982 murders of Ann Lee, 44, and Peggy Johnson, 66, on Aldershot Common quashed by appeal court judges on March 5 last year. The friends were stabbed to death as they walked their dogs and one witness later described seeing a disfigured stalker with a "horrific leer" prowling the area.

Fell, who was born while his parents lived in Whalley and whose mother later lived in Accrington, had drifted into jobs in the Aldershot area after being released from the army.

He initially confessed to the brutal and motiveless killings but it was later discovered that he had an attention seeking disorder.

The judges branded the police's handling of the inquiry as 'reprehensible' after they were told that officers charged Peter with the murders despite him having an alibi. But today it emerged that the police have yet to even appeal for fresh information into the two murders.

A spokesman for Hampshire Police said that while the case was unsolved, it would only be investigated if new evidence came to light. He refused to comment further

Peter, a former pupil at Norden High School, Rishton, who now lives in South London and last month got engaged to a woman he had met at church following his release, said: "There is someone, somewhere who is walking free after committing those crimes and I think the case should be looked at again.

"An appeal should be made at least. I know for a fact one hasn't been. It isn't the first time a case has been solved because someone suddenly remembers something so many years later.

"The courts said the police behaved in a reprehensible manner by ignoring facts which would have proved my innocence. In my opinion, they are still behaving like that."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope wants a full investigation into who did kill Ann Lee and Peggy Johnson -- and an investigation into how the police handled the case.

He said: "The whole thing is disgraceful. The Hampshire Constabulary is a disgrace for not reopening the investigation. The truth is that whoever committed these vile murders is still walking free and there should be an investigation to try and catch him or her.

"I raised this matter with the Home Office but in terms of getting a proper independent investigation into the conduct of Hampshire Police in this investigation, I have frankly failed.

"I do believe there should be one because I have no confidence that Hampshire Police will probably conduct any investigation into what has happened to Peter Fell properly."

Peter also attacked the way the system treats people when they are released on appeal, claiming: "Had it not been for my friends, I would have ended up on a park bench."

"If that could happen to me, I am sure it is happening to other people as well and I can understand why they end up back in prison.

"Because I refused to say I was guilty just to get out of prison early, I received no help."

Mr Pope said: "The package of support for prisoners released after miscarriage of justice is inadequate."

The Home Office today revealed it was acting to fill the gap highlighted by the Fell case. A spokeswoman said that a new working party had been set up to deal with the problem which had been exposed by his and other releases following the quashing of guilty verdicts for serious offences.