THE heartbroken boyfriend of murder victim Diane Sanderson today pledged he would be there to meet quadruple killer Mark Hobson if he is ever freed from prison.

Earlier this year, we revealed how Hobson had lodged an appeal against his "life means life" sentence for the murders of James and Joan Britton and twins Claire and Diane Sanderson.

But Diane's boyfriend, Ian Harrison, from Selby, today vowed he would be there to meet Hobson if he ever walked free.

"If I'm not waiting for him, my sons will be," he told the Evening Press. "If he comes out before I'm dead, I'll be waiting for him.

"I hate him, he's ruined my life. He was meant to be a mate of mine."

But Mr Harrison said he would not be travelling to London to hear Hobson appeal - and hit out at the British legal system, saying "it stinks".

Voice shaking with anger, he said: "He's done that - and he's allowed to appeal. How much is it costing me and you to do this? It's a waste of your money and my money. He's going to get shipped down there, he'll get put up in a prison down there. Who's going to pay for me to go down? It stinks.

"The legal system in this country is fantastic if you're guilty, if you're not guilty - they treat you like ****.

"If you're guilty, they treat you like a lord."

News that Hobson was planning to appeal has brought the horrific events of July last year flooding back to 38-year-old Mr Harrison, who had been trying to piece his life back together.

"I was getting on all right," he said. "It gets thrown back in your face. You try to deal with things day by day, and every so often he (Hobson) pops up in the paper and you think: 'Why?

"What he's done to us is just unbelievable - not just to me, to so many other people.

"They talk about the ripple effect, and it has affected so many people."

He said: "I have had so much support from everybody - I'd like to tell everybody how thankful I am. My friends have been so good."

Hobson was given four life sentences by a judge at Leeds Crown Court earlier this year, after he admitted murdering twins Claire and Diane Sanderson in Camblesforth, near Selby, and pensioners Jim and Joan Britton in Strensall, York, in July 2004.

Updated: 09:58 Monday, October 17, 2005