The father and son convicted of murdering have-a-go hero Tasawar Hussain today failed in their appeal to reduce the minimum term they must spend behind bars.

The judgement came as the father-of-two's grieving widow travelled to London to receive an award posthumously hailing the bravery of her husband.

Naila Hussain, 36, welcomed the ruling by Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, not to cut the minimum number of years her husband's killers Barry Elener, 42, and his 65-year-old dad Derek, must serve.

She said: "They got prison for life and as far as I'm concerned that means they should spend the rest of their lives locked up. They shouldn't even be living after taking my husband's life away from him, never mind have the right to appeal.

"I am so angry they even had the nerve to appeal in the first place."

Tasawar, 36, was murdered last January after giving chase to the two robbers following a £40,000 raid at a travel agents in Manningham.

Barry Elener, of Freshfield Gardens, Allerton, was convicted of shooting the him dead. His father Derek, of Reevy Road, Buttershaw, admitted the killing and confessed to a series of other violent robberies.

The pair were given life sentences and their minimum tariffs were set at 27 years for Barry and 25 years for Derek.

The ruling by law lords means that they must remain behind bars for the minimum term set at the time of sentencing.

The Eleners' appeal - which was being heard along with those of two other murderers - was being used as a test case into the length of prison tariffs and how they have been arrived at.

Today Naila and the couple's two young children, Haarisah, seven, and one-year-old Rafia, were invited to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair at Downing Street before tonight accepting a tribute on behalf of her husband at the Police Bravery Awards.

Police widows Aeilisa Broadhurst, of Birkenshaw, whose PC husband Ian was shot dead on duty on Boxing Day, and Karen Winterburn, the wife of police motorcyclist Andrew, who died in a tragic road accident at Chain Bar in September, were also invited to the Downing Street occasion.

But it was little consolation to Naila after the heartache she has suffered since her husband's death.

She said: "It has been a total nightmare without him and it doesn't get any easier.

"I am obviously honoured to be receiving the award and if it was under different circumstances I could feel happy about it.

"But I wish he hadn't been brave, I wish my children still had their father, and I wish more than anything he was here by my side.

"It is the worst thing in the world to be collecting something like this. Nothing can ever mean more to me than his life, but it will be something for his children to look back on."

Tasawar will be the first person to posthumously receive the Jill Dando Award, named after the murdered BBC Crimewatch presenter.

Chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation Tom McGhie, who supported Tasawar's nomination, said: "I am delighted his bravery is being recognised today but it is obviously under very sad circumstances.

"He didn't have to do it. He put himself in a dangerous situation in the spirit of citizenship and unfortunately he paid the ultimate price for that.

"But I hope it shows his family the high esteem of his actions and helps them come to terms with what has happened."

Tasawar, of Heaton, has also been nominated for the Queen's Gallatry Medal.