THE sister of a Farnham postman who was beaten to death in his flat says she is deeply distraught by a decision to grant his killer early release, and to allow him to live less than half-a-mile from her home.

Alistair Peek's sister, Bronwen, says she is afraid to leave her house in case she meets Stephen Rudge (38) in the street after he was granted temporary release on compassionate grounds because he has terminal cancer.

She heard on Friday that Rudge had been released and was now living with his partner in the middle of the small village of Colnbrook, near Slough.

A distressed Miss Peek told The Herald that she was now afraid to go to the shops or collect her children from school, because Rudge's son goes to the same school and he collects him.

She says she has not recovered from the death of her brother, who was 36, and the thought of bumping into his killer is stopping her from leaving her house.

Alistair's mother, Patricia, from Farnham, is also fighting the decision to allow Rudge out and has made representations to a committee which will meet in the next couple of days to decide if the release order is to stand.

Speaking from her Colnbrook home, Miss Peek said: "I can't express just how upset I am. It's very distressing - I don't want him around my home.

"I didn't go to court during his trial because I couldn't face seeing him, but now he's living in the centre of the village near the shops and the doctor's surgery I feel sure we are going to meet."

This is the second time Miss Peek has had to face the prospect of bumping into her brother's killer - a police blunder meant that Rudge was bailed to live at his mother's home, just two doors away from her house, while awaiting trial.

At the time police admitted there had been an "unfortunate misunderstanding" and the Peeks successfully campaigned for Rudge to be moved to a different address at a safe house.

But Miss Peek sees this latest decision as doubly distressing - not only is he living near her, but it means he has served just nine months of the three-year sentence for manslaughter handed out by an Old Baily Judge last year.

Patricia Peek says the whole family is angered and upset by the decision. She sees it as another example of the interests of the criminal being put before the victim.

"I don't think he should be out at all - having being given a lenient sentence already, I feel he should receive his medical treatment within the confines of prison," she said.

"He is not a serial killer, but a killer none the less, yet he is allowed to walk around free and live near my daughter's home.

"Why is he at home anyway? If he's that sick then surely he should be in hospital. I feel there needs to be a change in the law to stop this kind of situation from happening."

She has made representations to the committee which will decide on Rudge's future. If they decide to give him permanent release, she is urging them to ban him from Colnbrook, Farnham and Aldershot where family members are living.

If this does not happen, she said her daughter may be forced to move.

"We are mentally not ready for it - it's something we least expected," she continued.

"An Old Baily Judge can give a sentence, only to have it overruled by outside people like civil servants.

"I feel we are being paid lip service at the moment. There is no support for victims - the criminal seems to be king."

Although unable to comment about individual cases, a spokesperson for the prison service said: "Compassionate release is only granted in order that a person does not die in prison.

"The grounds for the discharge are that they would have to be facing imminent death for it to apply."

Alistair Peek was beaten to death by Rudge after he flew into a rage on the day he discovered Mr Peek had been sleeping with his fiancé, Joanne Taylor.

He knocked the father-of-two unconscious with a series of heavy blows at his Guildford Road flat four days before Christmas 1998, before enjoying an Indian meal with friends.