A FAMILY awarded £1.1m in compensation after their lives were shattered in a Turkish terror atrocity were last night told they will get less than £30,000 after the Turkish government rejected their claim.

Helyn Bennett, from Spennymoor, County Durham, was one of five people killed when an explosion ripped through a minibus packed with tourists in the popular resort of Kusadasi, in July 2005.

Miss Bennett’s fiance, Stephen Stables, her 16-yearold brother, Adam, her aunt, Toni Punshon, 14-year-old cousin Sam Punshon, and Ms Punshon’s partner, Michael Aspinall, were all injured in the blast.

The Turkish Government has been fighting the landmark case since 2009 but this month the Court of State, in Turkey, ruled the original hearing had not investigated whether or not it was a fault of the administration.

It means the family will now receive only £30,000 in compensation.

Miss Bennett’s mother, Sharon Holden said money would not bring her daughter back but it would have helped the rest of the family who had been affected.

“It is upsetting,” she said.

“We miss Helyn more than anything and no amount of money will change that. I had hoped the money would see them (the family) right because they have got some bad injuries.

“The money they offered me is a pittance. It makes out her (Helyn) life didn’t mean anything and I think it is an insult to her memory.”

Mr Aspinall, of Sherburn Village, County Durham, was left with serious injuries, including no feeling in his legs.

“It doesn’t matter how much we got,” he said. “It wouldn’t put things right but it would have been nice to help us along the way.

“I can’t work again because of my injuries and my partner has to work to keep us going but she is still in a lot of pain.

“The money we have been awarded has already gone due to what we have borrowed over the past few years. It has been really hard. We have been feeling the pinch a bit recently.”

The family now hope they will receive compensation from the British Government after a loophole preventing those injured in terrorist attacks abroad from receiving financial help was closed.

Mrs Holden, who was behind this campaign to get help for victims, added: “I am very proud to say I started this off in Helyn’s memory. As a bereaved parent I can’t claim but I want the others to get something.

“I don’t think we will ever fully get over this. It might get a bit easier once we have sorted the compensation out but it is still there every day.”

It is not known what Mr Stables has received in compensation.

Solicitor Mark Bowman said: “The way forward now is that thankfully, finally the British Government has put a scheme in place to compensate the family, although this will be nothing like the figures the family were initially awarded. We are looking at avenues to appeal but we are not optimistic.”

Stephen Hughes, Labour MEP for the North-East region, said: “Stephen Stables and the family of Helyn Bennett have suffered enough.

They deserve better than they have received from the Turkish government.

“I am pleased that at last the UK Government will fill the breach, but I believe Turkey should be held to account and made to pay compensation.”