Richard and Mayumi Heene were convicted in 2009 for orchestrating the “Balloon Boy” hoax in Colorado, USA, which captivated TV audiences earlier in the year.

It eventually emerged that six-year-old Falcon Heene was hiding in an attic at his parents’ instruction, rather than trapped in a balloon 7,000 feet above the ground as they had claimed.

In a statement, Colorado Governor Jared Polis said: “We are all ready to move past the spectacle from a decade ago that wasted the precious time and resources of law enforcement officials and the general public.

“Richard and Mayumi have paid the price in the eyes of the public, served their sentences, and it’s time for all of us to move on.”