TWO women whose children were murdered in cases that shocked the nation have told how they continue to draw comfort from each other.

Sara Payne and Denise Fergus, the mothers of Sarah Payne and Jamie Bulger, spoke during the annual North of England Victims' Association (Neva) conference in South Shields, South Tyneside, on Saturday, of the reassurance they gave each other.

Mrs Fergus said: "I know that I am not on my own. Sara has been through the same thing as me.

"I feel much more relaxed with her. We do talk about Jamie and Sarah, but it is not just about our kids, we talk socially in a really comfortable way."

Mrs Payne said: "Friends and family are brilliant, but you cannot put on them all the time. I feel really guilty about my friends especially. With Denise, it is easier to talk."

Convicted paedophile Roy Whiting was jailed for life for the murder of eight-year-old Sarah in West Sussex in 1995.

Three-year-old Jamie Bulger, was tortured and beaten to death by child killers Jon Venables and Robert Thompson in 1993. The pair have since been released and given new identities.

Mrs Fergus said she was still angered by the identity ruling. She said: "Their past lives are non-existent now. I only wish mine was."

The pair, who were with their husbands, were among more than 100 bereaved families who heard of scheduled changes to the law that the Home Office said will put the victim first.

The Domestic Violence, Crime and Justice Bill, debated last week in the House of Commons, promises measures to redress the balance in favour of the victim, including the appointment of a Victims' Commissioner and a code of practice on the treatment of victims.

There will also be a Victims' Fund to help fund voluntary organisations such as Neva. At present, the only group which receives Government funding is Victim Support.

Frances Flaxington, head of the Victims' Unit at the Home Office, said: "If we are really going to make a difference, we have got to listen to the experiences of victims."

The conference was organised by David Hines, of Jarrow, South Tyneside, who set up Neva after his 23-year-old daughter, Marie, was murdered by a former boyfriend.

Others present were Richard Taylor, father of Damilola, and Ann and Charlie Ming, of Stockton, whose daughter, Julie Hogg, was killed in 1989.

Mrs Ming said: "Everybody here has had someone murdered, so we can be close to each other and realise we are not alone.