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'I have therefore been satisfied that the relevant conditions have been met, which I was not in respect of the recommendation for parole. 'It is for that reason that I am granting Mr Biggs compassionate release on medical grounds. His condition is not expected to improve. In a statement Mr Straw said: 'The medical evidence clearly shows that Mr Biggs is very ill and that his condition has deteriorated recently, culminating in his re-admission to hospital. It also means he will avoid the embarrassment of losing a judicial review of his decision in July to keep Biggs in jail despite the Parole Board's recommendation that he should be released. Mr Straw's sudden change of heart will be seen by Biggs' supporters as a final piece of grandstanding in the case. Only a month ago Mr Straw rejected a Parole Board recommendation that Biggs should be released. Keith Norman, general secretary of the train drivers' union Aslef, said: 'It's ludicrous that a man who was part of a gang that committed a violent crime, and attacked an innocent man and hit him with an iron bar, should deserve clemency.'

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The decision to free the train robber, part of a 15-strong gang which stole from a Buckinghamshire mail train, was greeted angrily elsewhere, however.Ĭritics highlighted his lack of repentance and the violence of the raid, in which train driver Jack Mills was hit on the head with an iron bar, leaving him with injuries from which he never recovered. Giovanni di Stefano, Biggs's lawyer, also praised Mr Straw's move, although he warned that Biggs, who cannot speak, has to be fed through a tube and was 'going to die'.

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Scroll down for the full statement by the Justice Secretary

Michael, who today revealed that his father would enjoy a birthday reunion with his Brazilian-born granddaughter, said he was 'absolutely delighted' and described Mr Straw's about-turn as a victory for common sense. If his health improves, Biggs will be transferred to a nursing home in Barnet, near Michael's home. 'It will just be good to have him as Ronald Arthur Biggs, not a prison number.' 'We are looking at at least a week before any decision can be made about even considering when he can leave the hospital,' he said. Michael said he expected his father to undergo minor surgery on Monday or Tuesday. 'It will probably sink in when the guards at his bedside leave and there are just the two of us together.' 'I have only known my dad as someone who was either wanted or on some sort of parole. 'Hopefully we will get this fax coming through and then it will really sink in. 'I am a psychological wreck at the moment,' he said. Speaking outside the hospital, Michael Biggs said he expected the Ministry of Justice to confirm his father's release later today. The three Prison Service staff who remain with him will be told to leave once the licence for his release is finalised. Freedom: Ronnie Biggs, who is severely ill with pneumonia, is to be released from prison