THE boyfriend of murdered twin Diane Sanderson said he had recurring nightmares about the moment he found her body in a Selby flat.

Ian Harrison keeps a treasured photo of Diane by his bedside and "talks to her" every night as he tries to come to terms with her horrific death.

He said he still found it difficult to talk about what he found when he and Diane's dad, George, entered the Camblesforth flat where they found her body and that of her sister, Claire.

Both twins had been killed by Mark Hobson, who pleaded guilty to their murders and those of Strensall pensioners Jim and Joan Britton at Leeds Crown Court.

Hobson battered Claire 17 times with a hammer and, a week later, lured 27-year-old Diane to the flat where he sexually assaulted and strangled her.

In an interview, Mr Harrison told how he went to the flat with Hobson after a night at the pub, while the body of the "love of his life" lay in a bedroom upstaris.

"I left at about 1am and police said if I'd stayed the night I wouldn't have left that place alive. I later found out he had a knife hidden under a chair and a hammer under the settee. If I had fallen asleep I'm sure he would have killed me," he said.

Hobson had invited Mr Harrison to the flat after telling him that Diane's dad had died of a heart attack.

It was the next day when Mr Harrison went to Diane's house and George answered the door that he knew something was wrong.

They returned to the Camblesforth flat and Mr Harrison said: "We were banging on the door, but there was no answer. After ten minutes we entered the house, which had been left unlocked.

"We went upstairs and that is when we found them in the bedroom."

He said the scene was worse than any "Stephen King film or book".

"It was absolute horror," he said. "I phoned the police from my mobile, but I couldn't speak. George had to come on the phone to tell them what we'd found because I was so much in shock.

"Since then I've beaten myself up every day about it, wondering if I could have done anything to stop him."

Hobson went on the run for eight days following the quadruple murders before he was arrested in a field off the A19 at Shipton-by-Beningbrough.

Mr Harrison said he had met Diane after Hobson arranged for the pair to meet on a blind date. "She was so beautiful. She was perfect in every way and we were so in love with each other.

"I miss Diane so much. She was my life and he has taken everything from me."

Updated: 10:36 Monday, April 25, 2005