A parole hearing date has been set to decide whether serial killer Patrick Mackay - one of Britain's longest serving prisoners - should be released.

Mackay, who used to live in Dartford and Gravesend, was jailed in 1975 after confessing to brutally murdering 11 people, but is now being considered for release after reportedly spending time in an open prison.

The Parole Board for England and Wales confirmed in a statement:" An oral hearing has been listed for the parole review of Patrick Mackay and is scheduled to take place in August 2019.

“A panel of the Parole Board will consider a range of evidence before making its decision. This will be done with great care and with public safety the number one priority.”

The board was unable to give the precise date of the hearing but confirmed it had been fixed.

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson confirmed earlier this month he was due to make representations to the board after meeting Justice Secretary David Gauke to state his concerns over the situation - arguing that Mackay should be kept in prison.

Speaking following the meeting he said: “The Justice Secretary shared my concerns about Patrick Mackay.

"He indicated that the parole board would be able to take into account all the circumstances surrounding Patrick Mackay, including the matters that were left on file, when making a decision about him.

“I’m in the process of making representations to the parole board myself to stop this very dangerous man from being released.”

Mr Johnson has also described Mackay as a "man who is so dangerous he cannot be safely managed in the community".

Mackay savagely killed elderly women in their homes in London and carried out other killings before returning to Kent and killing a priest, Father Anthony Crean - hacking him to death with an axe and leaving him in a blood-filled bath in the village of Shorne.

He was convicted of three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years in 1975 - becoming eligible for release at the end of that minimum term in March 1995.

As a life sentenced prisoner, Mr Mackay, who is now 66, will only be released on direction from the Independent Parole Board when it is satisfied that the risk he poses can be managed safely in the community.

His case was most recently referred to the parole board in August 2018, and his parole review is ongoing.

Read more on Patrick Mackay here.