Killer mum Mairead Philpott has changed her name to avoid being beaten up in prison
The lag, who helped her ex-husband start a house fire which killed their six kids, fears becoming a target
KILLER mum Mairead Philpott has changed her name in a desperate bid to distance herself from her notorious past - and violent beatings in a new jail.
Now the fiend has changed her name as she fears becoming a target in a new prison which she is set to move to.
But, rather than adopting dinstinctive pagan names such as Willow or Rowena, she opted for plain old Louise Dunn.
A prison source said: “Philpott is one of the most notorious killers in Britain so it’s no surprise she wants to hide what she has done from people.
“She gets a lot of abuse from fellow lags in her current prison and she thinks changing her name is a good way to pull the wool over the eyes of inmates in her soon-to-be home.
“But her plan is likely to fail as she has been all over the news and has quite a distinctive appearance.
"It's likely she chose a plain name to fly under the radar when she moves prisons, rather than attract attention to herself.
“There’s a hierarchy of crimes behind bars and people who kill or rape innocent kids are always the most hated by other inmates.
“They say a rose by any other name would smell as sweet – and a child killer will always be a child killer no matter what she is called.”
Philpott and then-husband Mick, 60, were jailed for manslaughter after the deaths of their five sons and one daughter, aged from five to 13.
In May 2012, the hapless pair torched their Derby council home in an apparent bid to get a bigger one but failed to rescue their kids from the blazing inferno.
Mairead has been serving her sentence in HMP Bronzefield, in Ashford, Surrey, and has been a regular victim of violence from other lags.
She spends her days in a top cell with her own shower, bed, phone and television as she keeps her distance from vengeful neighbours.
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The source added: “Mairead has spoken before of being truly sorry for her crime and blames her then-husband Mick for the botched plan.
“She wanted to change her name to help bury her horrible past.
“But it remains to be seen whether she will be successful or not.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said they do not comment on individuals.