ONE treasured family snapshot is the only photograph that exists of tragic little Tara Jane Howe.

Just 18 weeks after her grandmother, Pamela Mackey, captured the image as the fragile doll-like child lay in an incubator at Blackburn's Queen's Park Hospital, she was dead.

John, 23, is starting a five-and-a-half year prison sentence and Amanda, also 23, a year less after pleading guilty to manslaughter at Preston Crown Court. The judge said they had allowed their daughter to "starve and starve to death."

"It is the only picture ever taken of Tara during her short life," explained the grieving grandmother, who has recently moved to Colne.

"But the image that will always haunt me is seeing the baby lying on that bed dead. She looked like she had literally died of fright. I haven't been able to sleep since." Pamela was close to the couple and for a time lived across the road from them. She helped to deliver Tara on June 10 last year at Dove Lane, Darwen, and also called the ambulance when she died in the same house. "I admit my son had a terrible temper but Amanda ofter provoked him and we were always telling her to get out of the relationship if they were not happy," she said.

"The drugs they took turned them into different people. When they were not on them they were the nicest people you could wish to meet."

The mother of eight says now the court case has finished her only wish is to make peace with Amanda's family and to be able to take flowers to the child's final resting place. She added: "I know Tara's other grandma, Dot, blames John for what happened but this family feud is not doing anybody any good.

"John and Amanda are getting divorced so it is time to settle our differences.

"What upsets us most is that we missed the funeral and have only just found out Amanda's family have the baby's ashes.

" All we want is a place we can go and remember her.

"Tara's death was a big shock to us and the last 12 months have been a nightmare.

"I used to have 22 grandchildren now one has gone forever."

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