Family and friends of the Norfolk grandparents jailed for cutting down a hedge are protesting outside the high security prison where the wife is serving her sentence.

Marlene Girling, 54, of Witton, is being held at Highpoint, the Suffolk prison where Moors murderer Myra Hindley is serving her life sentence.

Her husband, Malcolm Girling, 57, who admits that he broke the law in cutting down the hedge, is in an open prison.

Both are serving 28-day sentences for cutting down a hedge in breach of a civil court injunction.

The remains of the 15-foot hedge

One of the Girlings' three daughters, Selina, said her mother was very frightened: "The last time we saw her was on Saturday. We had one hour with her. She was frightened. Very frightened.

"She did say she would be OK but she wasn't our mum."

Mrs Girling's sister, Beverley Taylor, said the family had received a lot of public support.

"Everybody has been ringing in supporting us. One of the things that has come across is that she shouldn't be in a high security jail.

"You normally have to do something very very wrong to get a prison sentence and 28 days was the maximum she could have got."

Strong person

Her mother, Sylvia Brookes, said she was worried about her daughter.

"I think she will be very, very upset. She is a strong person but all we want is to get her out and home with the family."

Outside the prison on Tuesday morning the Girlings' granddaughter Bethany, aged nine, showed the170 signatures she had gathered on a petition supporting the family's campaign to have Marlene Girlings moved from Highpoint.

The family's neighbours, John and Lynda Williams, concerned at the Girlings' plans to trim the hedge obtained a court injunction telling them not to cut it.

After the Girlings did cut it back, they were subsequently sentenced at Norwich Crown Court.