Serial killer Harold Shipman will spend the rest of his days in prison, the home secretary, David Blunkett, said yesterday.

He said in a written parliamentary answer that the heinous nature of Shipman's crimes meant that only a whole life tariff was appropriate.

Shipman, 55, joins a small group of criminals - including Rose West, Dennis Nilsen and Donald Neilson - who have been told they will never be released from prison.

"I do not usually comment on the tariff decided in individual life sentence prisoner cases," said Mr Blunkett. "However, I recognise that Harold Shipman's crimes raise issues of particular concern and I therefore intend to depart from my usual practice in this case.

"Harold Shipman was convicted in January 2000 on 15 counts of murder. These were the most heinous of offences and the grossest breach of duty of trust he owed as a doctor to the victims, all of whom were trusting patients."

He said taking all the circumstances into account, he had decided that nothing less than a whole life tariff should apply.

Dame Janet Smith, the judge chairing the public inquiry into Shipman's crimes, publishes her initial report later this month. The real death toll is thought to be many more than the 15 elderly women he was convicted of murdering. It is believed Shipman may have killed as many as 297 people. He is serving his sentence at Frankland prison, Co Durham.