Judge rules family killer Jeremy Bamber must die behind bars

Bamber, who is serving life for the slaughter of his family in 1985, had asked for a minimum term to be set to give him hope of parole.

Mr Justice Tugendhat, however, said the murders were "exceptionally serious" and he should spend the rest of his days behind bars.

Bamber, 47, has twice lost appeals against his conviction.

He was found guilty of shooting his adoptive parents, June and Nevill, his sister Sheila Caffell, and her six-year- old twin sons Daniel and Nicholas at their farmhouse in Essex in the early hours of August 7, 1985.

His mother June, 61, and nephews Nicholas and Daniel, were shot dead in their beds.

His father Nevill, 61, was found downstairs, and his sister Sheila Caffell, a model nicknamed Bambi, was found by her parents' bed.

He then placed the rifle and a bible on his sister's chest to imply she had committed the murders before killing herself.

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Detectives suspected Miss Caffell as she suffered from mild schizophrenia and had not been taking her medication.

However Bamber's fingerprints were later found on the gun and his girlfriend, Julia Mugford, revealed he had talked about killing his parents.

The prosecution said he hoped to inherit £500,000.

Bamber claimed his sister, who had a history of mental illness, killed her family before turning the gun on herself.

After he was sentenced, the Home Secretary decided in his case life meant life.

Yesterday, the High Court judge said he had read submissions from Bamber's solicitors that he was behaving and progressing well in prison.

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The judge said there was "no reason" for him to depart from recommendations made both by the Lord Chief Justice and the Home Secretary that Bamber must serve a "whole life" tariff.

Grieving family members of those who died were in court to hear the judge tell Bamber: "In my judgement, you ought to spend the whole of the rest of your life in prison, and I so order".