A woman whose conviction was quashed for a fatal arson attack in which a woman and her two young children died is to sue the chief constable of South Wales Police.

Annette Hewins was jailed for 13 years for the attack in which Diane Jones, 21, and her two children Shauna, 2, and Sarah-Jane, 13 months, from Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil, died in 1995.

Her niece Donna Clarke was jailed for 20 years and later released on appeal.

Ms Hewins own conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal in 1999, which found her conviction to be "unsafe".

Her solicitors have issued a writ at the High Court in London on the grounds of malicious prosecution and misfeasance - the wrongful use of legal authority - in public office.

Ms Hewins, from Pant, Merthyr Tydfil, is also claiming more than �50,000 in damages for her wrongful conviction for the attack on Ms Jones' home.

Included in the writ are claims that Ms Hewins suffered psychiatric damage as a result of the case, which she blames on South Wales Police.

Annette Hewins was cleared of the convictions

Donna Clarke's conviction was also quashed, and at a retrial ordered by the Appeal Court her lawyers successfully argued she should not face a second trial because of the double jeopardy rule.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.

During the initial investigation into the Gurnos murders three local women - Ms Clarke, her aunt Ms Hewins and Denise Sullivan - were arrested in connection with the case.

Ms Clarke and Ms Hewins were cleared of murder but convicted of arson with intent to endanger life.

Diane Jones, 21, died in 1995

They were given sentences totalling 33 years in prison.

Ms Sullivan was convicted of perverting the course of justice and jailed for four years, which was reduced to three-and-a-half years at an appeal.

Earlier this year, it was announced a police review of the Gurnos arson attack would be carried out by an independent advisory group, led by former detectives from Cornwall and Devon.

The group were appointed by South Wales Police who are in the process of revisiting unsolved murder cases.