THE son of one of the victims of the Horden shooting tragedy plans to hold a memorial service in their honour.

Bobby Turnbull wants to hold the service to honour his mother Alison Turnbull, 44, sister Tanya, 24, and aunt Susan McGoldrick, 47 who were killed by Michael Atherton.

The killings happened at the 42-year-old's home in Horden, near Peterlee, east Durham, on New Year’s Day last year.

The inquest into their deaths, held last week, ruled they had been unlawfully killed.

Mr Turnbull had hoped to hold the memorial service on Saturday, April 6 at Horden Community Hall, but the event will now be held on a date to be decided in June.

Mr Turnbull said: “I want to hold it as a celebration of them and their lives.

“It will be very emotional for me to hold it, but I plan to hold the memorial service later this year.”

Mr Turnbull is seeking a change in the gun laws to include stricter checks of the medical records of license holders.

Meanwhile, Ms Turnbull's boyfriend, Michael Kendrew, has revealed that he had picked out an engagement ring the day before she was shot.

In the months leading up to her killing, Tanya had been planning to buy a house with her partner of two-and-half years.

Mr Kendrew said: “We always joked about having a kid, but we meant it.

“We wanted to get a house before having children. We had our future in place – that’s the hardest thing about it.

"I’ll never meet anyone like her. No one could come close. She was so kind. She would give anyone her last penny and she would be left with nothing.

"She was well liked by everyone and that’s why no one understands why he shot Tanya."