'Thugs are trying to silence me,' says widow of murdered headmaster Philip Lawrence

Frances Lawrence, 60, has made astonishing claims of death threats from men on her front doorstep, a burglary at her home and being rammed off the road in her car in the past five months.

The mother of four is convinced the incidents are linked to 27-year-old Learco Chindamo's application for parole after serving 12 years for her husband's murder.

She is sure they are attempts to stop her speaking out about the case and telling a parole panel of her opposition to the move.

If Chindamo's application is approved he could be freed within weeks. Mrs Lawrence feels that is too early.

She described her latest ordeal after reading in the Daily Mail that not only Chindamo himself, but also his mother and brother, may be given new identities, homes and security guards at taxpayers' expense.

Mrs Lawrence said: "It was a total, and very brutal shock. I had not been told this by the Parole Board and I felt terribly angry and powerless - prompting me to speak out for the first time about a campaign of harassment and intimidation I have been subjected to over the last five months.

"I can only assume these horrible things are in some way related to Philip's death and my efforts to get justice."

Mrs Lawrence said the first incident came five months ago when she opened the door of her West London home to see two men outside.

They warned her not to speak out about "Learco" again or "people might get angry."

Though she was severely shaken, Mrs Lawrence did not go to the police, hoping the incident would prove to be just a one-off.

But a few weeks later, she says, she returned home to find she had been burgled.

No money or valuables had been taken, but all the documents relating to her husband's murder were missing.

This time Mrs Lawrence went to the police, who have confirmed they investigated the report of burglary earlier this year, but they have not launched a investigation into her claims of an intimidation campaign.

About month later there was another doorstep warning which she also reported.

Then came the most terrifying incident, when she claims her car was forced off the road by another vehicle which drove off without stopping.

Mrs Lawrence said: "I am in no doubt that this was also the work of people somehow associated with Chindamo".

Chindamo was 15 when he stabbed Mr Lawrence to death outside his school in West London in December 1995. He denied murder but was convicted in October 1996.

By next month he will have been behind bars - including time spent on remand, for 12 years.

This was the minimum term recommended by the trial judge, making him eligible to apply for parole.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw is understood to be keeping the case under scrutiny and Mrs Lawrence says he also believes that releasing Chindamo now would be premature.