Sian Blake family: We have been robbed of our dreams by a monster

The family of Sian Blake said they would be forever scarred by her brutal murder together with her two young sons in an emotional tribute today.

Her relatives said they had been "robbed of our dreams" by the killings of the former EastEnders actress and her children Zachary, aged eight, and Amon, four.

They also condemned Ms Blake's partner Arthur Simpson-Kent as a "monster" after he was given a whole-life term for carrying out the murders of the trio in their own home.

"When loved ones are erased from your life so horrifically, your life stops," they said in a statement read out on their behalf outside the court.

The family said the rest of their lives would be lived "on pause" in the statement dedicated to "beautiful Sian, Zachery and little Amon".

They added "no sentence would be adequate" to bring back their loved ones.

Simpson-Kent, 49, was today told he would spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murder of the family in December last year.