The mother of a boy left for dead at a beauty spot has reacted with disbelief after learning that one of his two attackers will be released shortly on parole.

Just last week the family were relieved to learn that his second attacker had been refused parole.

Yesterday victim 16-year-old Ashley Murray and his mother Joanne said their Christmas had been shattered by the news.

In the frenzied attack Ashley, aged 13 at the time, was stabbed 18 times and is still recovering from his ordeal.

The youngster, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, had a big toe amputated for frostbite after his lengthy ordeal. He has undergone surgery on his left foot and has a splint in his left ankle and there are also problems using his left hand side.

His life was saved after being discovered by a dog walker. Ashley had been left for dead by Robert Fuller and Daniel Gill at Birk Crag near Harlow Carr Gardens, Harrogate, three years ago.

Fuller and Gill, aged 15 and 14 at the time, were both convicted of attempted murder following a trial at Hull Crown Court in October 1999 and sentenced to be detained for six years.

The family had been looking forward to a brighter Christmas after it was announced that Robert Fuller had not been granted parole. But Mrs Murray said news has been passed to her that Daniel Gill is to be released on parole, possibly within weeks.

A distraught Mrs Murray said: "We are absolutely gutted by this news, particularly after hearing that Fuller would not be released.

"We had been looking forward to Christmas, but not now. We are just shattered by this. At the end of the day Gill will be walking free. We have been up all night just trying to talk this through."

Mrs Murray had written to Home Secretary David Blunkett asking him not to release the pair early. She is still awaiting a reply.

The Murray family has collected more than 2,000 names on a petition calling on the government not to release offenders until they have served at least two thirds of their sentences.

Trial judge Arthur Myerson said if the pair had been adults he would have sentenced them to 10 years because he regarded them as a risk to the public. The pair, who came from Harrogate, lured Ashley to the beauty spot after watching part of the horror film Scream.