The savage murderer of twin boy Riley Turner will die behind bars, a judge ordered this afternoon.

Family and friends of the four-year-old erupted in triumph and rage in the public gallery when Mr Justice Coulson told Anwar Rosser: “You must go to prison for life.”

The packed public gallery containing Riley’s mother, grandparents and other close family members had behaved with great dignity earlier in the case, crying quietly as the terrible details of his killing were revealed.

But they stood up and hurled insults at the secure dock after sentence was passed.

After the public gallery was cleared the judge told Rosser: “You will remain in prison for the rest of your natural life.”

He said only a whole life tariff reflected “the appalling savagery of the killing”.

Mr Justice Coulson branded Rosser an exceptionally dangerous man who posed an immediate and grave risk to members of the public and could be responsible for the sadistic killing of another child.

Outside court members of Riley Turner’s family supported each other as they bravely faced the cameras.

The youngster’s mother, father, stepdad, grandparents and other distraught relatives clung to each other as a police officer, Detective Sergeant Jan Sullivan, read out a statement on their behalf.

It said: “While justice has now been done, no sentence will ever be enough for what we are going through and what that man has done to our family.

“It will not bring our little man back. Riley was always so happy and bubbly, caring and loving. His twin brother misses him so much.

"We will never come to terms with what has happened and will always feel hurt at the way Riley was so cruelly and suddenly taken from us.

“We would like to thank our family and friends for their support during this difficult time, especially the local community which has raised funds in Riley’s memory and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

“We would also like to thank West Yorkshire Police, who have given us great comfort and reassurance with their support and the way they have handled the investigation.”