TWO schoolgirls who became embroiled in a murder hunt when their boyfriends boasted of killing their step-grandmother have spoken for the first time.

The two 15-year-olds, from Darlington, chatted to twins Jonathan and Robert Maskell, 19, over the Internet and on the telephone every day for up to two years.

But in February last year, Jonathan Maskell confessed to one of the girls that the pair had killed Anjelica Hallwood, 74, while robbing her of £1,000.

Yesterday, the Maskells and their friend, Dwane Johnston, 19, all from Edmonton, north London, were cleared of murder at the Old Bailey, but found guilty of the manslaughter of Mrs Hallwood last January.

The girls, who wish to remain anonymous, told The Northern Echo of their disbelief when the Maskells confided in them that they had killed Mrs Hallwood.

One said: "They did it in January, but Jonathan told me in February. He told me that he was going to go to prison.

"I put the phone down on him because I thought he was joking. You don't just say 'I've killed my nana'.

"Even now I get images in my head of them killing their nana and laughing."

The other girl said: "I talked to Robert about three times a day on my mobile or on MSN Messenger on the computer. I thought he was a nice bloke.

"I didn't believe they had killed their nana. That is not the kind of thing you go bragging about.

"So when the police came round, I was shocked. At first I was upset about it, I didn't think they were capable of doing it.

"Now I feel sorry for the old lady that they killed."

Jonathan Maskell also told his teenage girlfriend that he had cancer and he was going to kill himself.

The girl said: "When we were together, I thought I was in love, but I wasn't.

"I feel that I can't trust anyone now. I don't think I will tell people that my ex-boyfriend is a killer."

Before their confession, the Darlington girls had plotted to run away with the Maskells. They scraped together a few pounds, but only got as far as Darlington's Bank Top station - where they discovered they did not have enough money for a train ticket to London.

Speaking from one of their homes in the town, the girls admitted their parents warned them to break off contact with the Maskells.

One said: "They have tried to contact me since but I told them I want nothing to do with them.

"Now I am really glad that I never met them.

"I think about it often, but hopefully in time those thoughts will go away."