A HORRIFIED Woodford Green mother marched to Holloway prison to demand that Baby Peter's mother should not be allowed to appeal her five-year sentence.

Melissa Russ, 36, joined around 30 determined marchers, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of Peter Connelly, who until recently was known as only Baby P, on the march on Saturday.

They came from as far away as Somerset, Dorset and even South Africa to protest against his mother Tracey Connelly's bid to have her sentence reduced, alongside her partner and his brother.

Connelly, 28, was held at the prison following her arrest and subsequent conviction of causing or allowing her 17-month-old son's death.

Chanting “Justice for Baby P, no appeal for the evil three” and “there's no excuse for child abuse, the system must be changed” they walked from Caledonian Road to Holloway Prison, in Holloway Road, Islington.

Ms Russ, a recruitment consultant of Saville Row, said: “It was so upsetting what happened to Peter. I thought we've just got to do something constructive.

“I thought if I got involved maybe I could help change things and make sure that no more children like this slip through the net. There were so many opportunities to save him.”

The group wants tougher sentences and no appeals for all "evil ones" - those who abuse, torture, rape and murder children.

Organiser Lynda Red, from the Abused Babies and Children (ABC) Foundation, said: “What gives them the right to appeal? They say they've got rights. They lost any human rights the day they did what they did to that innocent little boy.

“They are evil low-life scum and should suffer for what they did.”

The marchers were furious that Connelly had been transferred to Styal Women's Prison in Cheshire amid fears for her safety and that she, her partner Steven Barker, 33 and Barker's brother Jason Owen, 37, could be given new identities for their protection at a cost of millions upon release.

The march was organised through ABC's Facebook group, where Ms Russ joined up online.

Her little boy, Jude, two, is just six months older than Peter would have been, something which made his death all the more horrifying for her.

“It's all very well saying it's terrible what happened to him but let's try to change something,” she said.

British South African Jackie Bother, 50, was another one of those who joined up online while in South Africa and one of the first things she did after returning from 30 years living in Durban, just two weeks ago, was get involved in the march.

She said: “There might only be a handful of women here but if that's what it's going to take, then a handful of women it's going to be.”

For more information on the foundation, visit www.abcfoundation.co.uk.