Sons found murdered at North Wales murder home were smothered

Two young boys believed to have been killed by their mother who has family in the Black Country died of suffocation, police confirmed today.

The cause of death for two-year-old Izaak Stevens and his brother Phillip, five, was confirmed by a post-mortem examination.

The cause of death for their 36-year-old mother Melanie Stevens, who leaves three older children, has not yet been revealed but her death is not being treated as suspicious.

The three were found dead at home in north Wales after settling there several years ago.

Miss Stevens' mother Pauline, of Bradmore, Wolverhampton, is staying with her other daughter Natalie at her home in Coseley.

The family were too upset to comment on the tragedy.

Det Chief Insp John Hanson, of North Wales Police, said today: "We continue to gather evidence and the coroner has been informed."

Police made the grim discovery after forcing their way into Miss Stevens' home in Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd, at around 8pm on Sunday.

Relatives alerted police after they were unable to get into the property.

Miss Stevens' other two sons, aged 12 and 14, are thought to live with their father in Porthmadog, while her daughter, 16, lives with family in the West Midlands. Neighbours described Miss Stevens and her children as "happy and pleasant".