THE Northwich mother of four boys killed by their father has told of her despair after failing in a bid to erect a commemorative plaque.

Samantha Tolley was hoping to place a stone memorial on the Horseshoe Pass in North Wales where her estranged husband, Keith Young, killed brothers Joshua, Thomas, Callum and Daniel in tragic circumstances.

But following a 12-month wait, a council ranger this week handed the 14-inch plaque back to her friends, saying permission had not been given to erect the memorial near a makeshift shrine that has been created by well-wishers.

Council chiefs said they feared it would lead to dozens of memorials to people who had died at the tourist spot being erected. Instead they gave the plaque to Roslynne Lumsden, who runs a nearby cafe and who has been helping the family get the plaque erected.

The local community council said it was sympathetic, but would object to the plaque if a formal planning application was made.

Miss Tolley, 30, who lives in Northwich, said: 'I just don't understand why they won't give me permission.

'We have heard nothing for months and now they have given us the plaque back. We have been told we can't have permission.

'A representative from the council came to fetch the plaque from me last year and said it wouldn't be a problem. Yet last week they didn't even bother to tell me that they wouldn't be putting it up - they just took it to Roslynne's cafe and left it there, telling her she could put it up in the car park. But what happened didn't happen there.

'Their lives were not lost in an accident, and it would mean so much to me and my family to have a permanent memorial to remember the boys - this is for them.'

The boys' grandmother, Phyllis Tolley, said the family would be happy to put in a planning application, but said they had hoped the plaque could be in place by next month - the second anniversary of the tragedy.