James Bulger's mum has shared some of her favourite memories of her "fun, loving" son on the anniversary of his murder.
It is 30 years since James was murdered on February 12, 1993, one month short of his third birthday. Grainy CCTV footage of the toddler being led away from Bootle’s Strand shopping centre by his killers remains one of the most chilling images in recent history.
The impact of James' murder was felt around the world and his killers Jon Venables and Robert Thompson became the youngest convicted murderers in the UK in more than a century. Speaking to the ECHO ahead of today's anniversary, Denise Fergus said not being able to say goodbye or I love you to her son still hurts her to this day.
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The foreword of Denise's newly updated autobiography, I Let Him Go, said: "Above all, Denise doesn't want her son to be remembered as a murdered child, and with this beautifully written book, she does just that."
Denise told the ECHO that she instead wants James to be remembered "for the fun, loving little character that he was."
She said: "He could never keep still like most children are at that age. He loved listening to Michael Jackson with me, and getting him up in the morning and going through his breakfast routine will always be in my mind.
"He would come in the living room and point to the TV to be put on and then he could watch his favourite videos.
"When I'd ask him what he wanted to eat that morning, the way he used to say 'Frosties' and carry the last part of the word on."
Speaking of how she will be spending the anniversary this year, Denise said: "30 years is a long time in anyone's life, but for me to be spending that time to try and fight for justice has just been part of what I have had to do.
"For me and my family it will be just another year. It doesn't matter if it's the 11th, 20th or 30th year, for me it's another year without my first son.
"Stuart and I will clean James's resting place and then meet family and friends there, spend time with them before heading home. February is always a cold time of the year and we spend as much time there as we can on the 12th and of course the 14th [the day James' body was found].
"The days will be spent not thinking about what happened so tragically but remembering a beautiful, little James running around the house constantly giggling and dancing, which he loved to do.
"I have had so many years when I have been fighting for justice for James for which I'm so grateful again for all the support, but 2023 does seem different, who knows for sure, but I hope to have justice for James finally this year."
Denise added: "So please let me share this wonderful, private memory of James giggling at the top of his voice, one of the really ongoing belly giggles. I walked into the lounge and saw him standing there with the biggest smile on his face, looking up to my curtains where he had thrown every Chipstick crisp out of the packet.
"He found it so funny all of them hanging off curtains like little darts, still giggling so much with that lovely big smile on his face - and I stood there and laughed so much with him.
"That is the James I want everyone to remember......my little, beautiful, funny James."
After being convicted of Jamie's murder in November 1993, Venables and Thompson were ordered to be detained indefinitely. But in 2001, a six-month review by the parole board found they were no longer a threat to public safety and they were released on life licence after serving just eight years.
Both were banned from ever returning to Liverpool and given new identities at a reported cost of £1.5 million.
Thompson has not reoffended. But Venables was sent back to prison in 2010 and 2017 after being caught with child sex abuse images on his PC. He was turned down for parole in 2020 after serving his minimum 40 months’ sentence.
James' family is continuing to call for a public inquiry into his murder, with an online petition in 2018 receiving 214,000 signatures.
Denise described meetings she had with Justice Secretary Dominic Raab over the inquiry and parole board reform last year as her biggest successes “in almost 30 years in fighting for justice for James”.
Denise told the ECHO of the support she's received from people across Merseyside over the last 30 years in her fight for justice for James.
Denise said: "The people of Merseyside are like no other and I will always say that being from Liverpool makes you part of a family.
"People have each other's back when it's needed, from just a wink and a nod from someone, to others asking for a hug and saying they see James as one of their own and to keep carrying the fight whilst I'm out shopping or attending an event, or even out having a drink or meal with my family - [it] means a lot to me."
The James Bulger Memorial Trust was established by Denise in 2011, on what should have been James' 21st birthday, to help others in her son's name.
Denise said: "I now use what happened to me and my family to help others in various ways, with not getting justice for James I now aim to help people who are in a similar predicament to me, through the charity we help families with free respite breaks and holidays and also if people need counselling or financial help we can put them in touch with other places that can assist."
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