The Home Secretary is keen to avoid any embarrassment to himself or

HOME Secretary David Blunkett has demanded that prison chiefs do NOT grant early release to jailed Tory Jeffrey Archer.

In a sensational memo leaked to the Sunday Mirror, one of Mr Blunkett's top civil servants has asked the prison service to make sure the millionaire novelist is kept behind bars. "We are keen to see that Archer is not immediately released," says the letter, written on behalf of Mr Blunkett.

Archer, 62, has served almost two years of a four-year sentence for perjury and could be eligible for parole in four weeks, on June 28.

But Mr Blunkett is determined to stop the shamed peer from embarrassing the Government.

The "keep-him-inside" memo is from Home Office permanent secretary John Gieve to prisons chief Martin Narey.

It says: "As you are aware, Jeffrey Archer is approaching the halfway part of this sentence. This is of concern to the Home Secretary because Archer could become eligible for parole. Given the large amount of Press interest in Archer and the difficulties this has caused the Home Secretary and your department, we are keen to see that Archer is not immediately released at the halfway point of the sentence. This has been communicated to the Parole Board.

"I would appreciate the views of your department on a suitable plan to release Archer. We are keen to see that Archer does not profit from his time in custody, given the first edition of the book A Prison Diary published by Archer whilst in custody."

The memo says Mike Wood, governor of Hollesley Bay Prison in Suffolk where Archer is now held, is aware he has been in regular touch with publishers and journalists.

It also says Mr Blunkett is worried embarrassing questions could be asked in the Commons if Archer is seen to get off lightly. It adds: "Please communicate your views... as soon as possible so I may liaise with the Parole Board to prevent the imminent release of Archer, or publication of any further books."

A prison source said: "This is an extraordinary intervention. Blunkett has got it in for Archer, who will serve at least another year."

Archer, who had high hopes of an early release after he agreed to wear an electronic tag, was jailed for rigging the 1987 libel case that won him pounds 500,000. The ex-Tory Party chairman lied on oath during the case against a newspaper which accused him of paying a prostitute for sex in 1986.

Previously Mr Blunkett had sent a fax to Mr Narey saying: "I am sick of reading Jeffrey Archer stories about cushy conditions."

Archer's wife Mary has already launched a campaign claiming he is treated harshly because of his high profile. Last night she said: "If you have this memo, publish it."

When we first contacted the Home Office with details of the memo, a spokesman said: "It is perfectly appropriate for the Permanent Secretary to ensure proper arrangements are in place to ensure high- profile prisoners are not able to profit from their time in prison and that proper arrangements are in place for dealing with them.

But a Home Office spokesman later contacted us to say: "The Permanent Secretary doesn't recognise the correspondence at all and the Home Secretary would not have got involved with Parole Board matters."

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