The 71-year-old was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years in 2000 for stabbing the 21-year-old to death on an M25 slip road in Kent in 1996. It is understood he was released from Standford Hill open prison in Kent on Thursday, after the Parole Board concluded last month that he was suitable to return to the community. He first became eligible to be considered for release in April 2015. Noye went on the run after the killing and was arrested in Spain in 1998.

As required by law, his case was referred to the Parole Board to determine whether he could be safely released on life licence.

A three-person panel considered the case at an oral hearing on May 9.

Licence conditions that he will have to adhere to were previously set out by the board:

– To comply with requirements to reside at a designated address, be of good behaviour and report as required for supervision or other appointments.

– To comply with “other identified limitations” concerning contacts, activities, residency and exclusion zones.

– To continue to address “defined areas of risk”.

If Noye fails to comply with his licence conditions and shows that his risk is increasing, he faces being recalled to prison.

In reaching the decision, the panel considered a 439-page dossier of written evidence.

Witnesses who gave oral evidence included Noye himself, his community-based probation officer and a psychologist employed by the Prison Service.

The panel also considered a “victim personal statement” which “set out clearly the impact that Mr Noye’s crime had, and continues to have, on his victim’s family”.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “We understand this will be a distressing decision for the family of Stephen Cameron and our thoughts remain with them.

“Like all life sentence prisoners released by the independent Parole Board, Kenneth Noye will be on licence for the remainder of his life, subject to strict conditions and faces a return to prison should he fail to comply.”

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