THE mother of two boys who were murdered in a house fire started by their father has implored MPs to take on board new legislation which aims to protect children from abusive parents.

Claire Throssell, 45, of Penistone, addressed MPs in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

She gave an impassioned speech about her two sons, Jack and Paul, 12 and nine, who died after their father Darren Sykes set fire to the former family home in October 2014. Sykes also died in the blaze.

Since then, Claire has fronted the Child First campaign and lobbied for changes to the laws surrounding children in family courts. She said new legislation was introduced on October 4, which means judges now have to justify every decision they make in terms of children visiting parents who are perpetrators of domestic abuse.

Claire said the boys didn’t want to continue having to see their father, but were made to do so under the court’s decision to allow him access.

Claire said: “I think Jack and Paul would still be here if that had been the case earlier. I still feel so much that I let them down. Jack’s voice was never heard - only by the firemen, policemen and doctors. He said ‘my dad did this and he did it on purpose’ and that became his dying testimony. No child should have to say that their father has hurt them deliberately.

“I told the MPs they need to take on board the new legislation and training in coercive control and emotional abuse, and to remember that children have rights.

“Under the Human Rights Act, children have their own piece of legislation which state they have a right to grow up in a safe, stable, loving environment.

“It was difficult, and very emotional. But finally Jack’s voice has been heard.

I took a photo of Jack and Paul with me so they weren’t able to look away from that. I made them look at the photo and realise that they had lives and dreams and they were let down.”

Claire said there was still a lot of work to do, and she would like to see the training introduced to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, social services and even in schools. She would also like to see an end to aggressive cross questioning, whereby a parent could have been convicted of domestic abuse but still question the victim in a family court.

She added: “I would hope that Jack and Paul are proud. I still haven’t forgiven myself for what happened to the boys. At the end of the day, I let them go on that visit, and when they needed me the most, it was Jack that was there to help Paul and not me.

“Jack wanted everyone to know what his dad had done, and there is only me that can do that for him now.”