The judge who today detained Shropshire serial killer Robin Ligus in a mental hospital indefinitely said he hoped the sentencing would bring some ‘closure’ for the families of the victims.

Mr Justice Colman Treacy said it had been a long and complex journey for justice with the murders of Mr Bradley and Mr Coles dating back 17 years, but he added he hoped the resolution of the case would be of some comfort to the families.

He also thanked Inspector Andy Parsons, of West Mercia Police, and his team for their work on the case, adding: “It’s clear to me that you and your team have been involved over a long period of time in dedicated and painstaking work in seeking to see that justice was done”.

The judge said the police force had performed an ‘important public service’ and he hoped the sentencing would bring a ‘degree of closure and relief’ to the families of Mr Bradley and Mr Coles.

He said that despite Ligus being cleared of murdering Bernard Czyzewska he hoped the family would be satisfied that his death had been thoroughly investigated.

During the sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court today, Mr Richard Curtis QC, prosecuting, read out a statement from Peter Coles, cousin of Mr Coles, which said he would be ‘appalled’ at the thought of Ligus ever being released from custody.

Ligus was jailed for life in 1996 for killing 75-year-old Robert Young in Shrewsbury in October 1994, He stood trial for the murders of Mr Bradley and Mr Coles after a cold case review.

The investigation into the deaths of Mr Bradley and Mr Coles, who died in 1994, has taken many twists and turns over the years. Mr Bradley’s body went undetected during searches of the vehicle in Melverley.

Probes into Mr Coles death were closed less than a year after he died when an inquest concluded he had suffered a fall. The first officers at the scene suspected foul play because of the injuries and signs of disruption.