I think when one is considering the Moors Murders, it's only natural that the question of the death penalty will be raised. The crimes were so abhorrent that many, many people in UK (and elsewhere!) have expressed their opinion that it would have been better to execute the perpetrators rather than let them live the remainder of their lives in prison at the State's expense.

And of course, the natural consequence of these thoughts is, "What DO we do with such people?"

Regarding Pierrepoint, I have his book in front of me at this moment, and I quote from the Preface:_

"I do not now believe that any one of the hundreds of executions I carried out has in any way acted as a deterrent against future murder.
Capital punishment, in my view, achieved nothing except revenge."