Families of the victims on the steps of Swansea Crown Court

Relatives of Lesley-Ann Morgan, 21, her fianc� Neil Jenkins, 24, and friend Andrew Corbett, 19, said the drivers deserved a maximum 14 years' jail each.

Christopher Churchill, 29, of Redditch, Worcestershire, was jailed for seven years, and Christopher Antonio, 20, of Swansea, for four-and-a-half years.

The crash was in Swansea in June 2004.

Nobody has any idea what the families have gone through and to my mind it should be a life for a life Lee Morgan, brother of victim Lesley-Ann

Swansea Crown Court was told that Churchill, in his powerful, modified Volvo C70, raced Antonio in his father's BMW M3 at 60mph on the Fabian Way dual carriageway early one morning.

The BMW hit the minibus before the Volvo then crashed into the BMW.

Both Churchill and Antonio were uninjured, but three people in the minibus - all from Swansea - were killed, and another two were seriously injured.

After the verdict Lee Morgan, 26, said he had lost a close sister, Lesley-Ann Morgan, and her fianc�, who was his long-time best friend.

Speaking on behalf of all of the families involved, he said: "Antonio got four-and-a-half years for three lives and Churchill got seven years.

Volvo driver Christopher Churchill and BMW driver Christopher Antonio

"The judge could have given them a combined maximum of 28 years and they got away with eleven-and-a-half.

"Nobody has any idea what the families have gone through and to my mind it should be a life for a life."

Churchill admitted dangerous driving, but had denied causing death by dangerous driving. He was convicted of the first charge by a jury on Tuesday.

Antonio, who was 18 at the time of the crash, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

Both were also banned from driving: Churchill for nine years and Antonio for seven years.

Lesley-Ann Morgan, with fianc� Neil Jenkins; friend Andrew Corbett

The judge, Mr Justice Curtis, told both men he was appalled at the arrogance and the excessive speed with which they had driven.

He said he was sure that a witness who described their driving as "like a bat out of hell" had been accurate.

The judge also called for new laws to prevent inexperienced drivers taking the wheel of such powerful cars.

James Jenkins, prosecuting, had previously told the court that Churchill had been racing Antonio.

He suggested Churchill was overtaking Antonio's BMW when he saw the minibus pulling across Fabian Way and worked out that if he blocked Antonio in the inside lane he would have to brake hard.

'Sudden flash of light'

The BMW hit the minibus at up to 70mph.

The Volvo quickly followed, hitting the front of the BMW.

The impact of the crash threw the minibus into the air and catapulted one victim 120ft away from the scene.

Flowers were left at the accident scene in Fabian Way, Swansea

Mr Jenkins told the jury that Antonio was connected to a club of motor enthusiasts who had congregated earlier that evening in the centre of Swansea.

The police had asked them to move on and they were heading towards Neath in convoy when the accident happened.

Churchill, a promotions manager with Halfords, had travelled to Bridgend that day to drop off his girlfriend at home and had driven down to Swansea to "look at some girls".

He said it was "pure coincidence" that he found himself driving among half a dozen members of the South Wales Car Club as they turned onto Fabian Way.

He said he overtook some cars and accelerated to between 50mph and 60mph when there was a sudden flash of light immediately ahead of him.

David Harris, for Antonio, told the court that his client now "admitted there had been an element of competitive driving".