Morris is serving four life sentences for the murders

David Morris, 40, was found guilty of battering to death divorcee Mandy Power, her two young daughters and her elderly mother in June 2002.

Morris was given four life sentences for the murders at their home in Clydach in the Swansea Valley.

On Thursday, a judge at the High Court in London refused Morris leave to appeal.

His lawyers now have to decide whether to challenge the decision at a hearing later this year.

The decision has been greeted with great relief by the families of the victims.

Vicious killings

Judge Mr Justice Nelson spent weeks studying the papers submitted by Morris' lawyers in his defence.

He has decided that there are no grounds to take the case to appeal.

Morris' lawyers now have until 16 April to decide whether to face another hearing - in front of three judges - later this year.

Divorcee Mandy Power, her daughters Katie, 10, and Emily, eight and her mother Doris Dawson were viciously killed in their Kelvin Road home in June 1999.

The killer then set the house alight to cover his tracks.

An emotionally charged trial ran over two months, before the jury returned unanimously guilty verdicts.

Cowering

During the Swansea Crown Court trial, the jury heard how Morris murdered the family after Mandy Power rejected his sexual advances.

Patrick Harrington QC, prosecuting, said Mrs Power had been beaten 38 times with the murder weapon.

Eighty-year-old Doris Dawson was murdered as she lay in bed. Morris then set her body alight.

One of the children's bodies lay on the landing. Another was found in their bedroom, still in a cowering position.

Morris was caught after a bloodstained gold necklace, ripped from his neck during the murders, was found in the house by forensic scientists.

Lawyers for Morris lodged the appeal shortly afterwards, in July.

Since his conviction, Morris' family have conducted a campaign protesting his innocence.