The family of two children murdered in an arson attack on their home spoke of their relief last night after a woman was jailed for 12 years for their manslaughter, writes Andrew Ffrench.

Anum Khan, nine, died in the fire at her home in Magdalen Road, east Oxford, on August 26, 1997. Her brother Majid, 15, died two days later from severe burns.

At Birmingham Crown Court in November 1998, five men were convicted of the murder and given life sentences following a two-month trial.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case of sixth defendant Riaz Munshi, formerly of Oxford and now of Brixton, south London. But yesterday, a jury at Leicester Crown Court convicted Munshi of the manslaughter of the two children after 14 hours of deliberation.

The verdict came on Munshi's 28th birthday. She was cleared of two charges of murdering the youngsters.

Anum and Majid's sister Bilqees, 24, said after the hearing: "This has been upsetting because it has brought back some terrible memories. "But now that Riaz has been found guilty we can try to put the past behind us and concentrate on the future."

The court heard how 19-year-olds Alan Swanton and Thomas Liedl, of Letchworth, Hertfordshire, started the fire by squirting petrol through the letterbox of the Khan home.

Story date: Friday 17 December

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