THE family of tragic toddler Levi Bleasdale today welcomed a government pledge to crackdown on drivers who kill.

Grandfather Michael Ryan said the proposed change in the law was welcome but it should have been in place to properly punish the driver who ran down his beloved granddaughter.

Transport Secretary Alaistair Darling made the pledge when Burnley MP Kitty Ussher raised the case of the death of the three-year-old from Wasdale Avenue, Padiham in Parliament.

As he opened the second reading of the Road Safety Bill, Mr Darling highlighted the provision to create a new offence of causing death by careless driving with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Levi died after she was knocked down while crossing Ormerod Road, Burnley, with her mother Kirsty, 21, and baby sister Brogan last September.

The stolen VW Golf which hit her was driven by Mohammed Aqueel Hussain, 26, who pleaded guilty to careless driving, failing to stop and failing to report an accident.

He was sent to prison for 12 weeks for failing to stop and failing to report and fined for careless driving.

Mrs Ussher intervened and told Mr Darling about the case.

She said: "The community in Burnley was shocked that he could not receive a jail sentence for causing the three-year-old's death.

"Are you still determined to press ahead with the new offence of causing death by dangerous driving with a maximum sentence of five years?

"And will you reverse the amendment by the Tories to take out the provision that this offence can be prosecuted initially in a magistrates' court."

Mr Darling said: "Yes we will. We are determined to crack down on death by dangerous driving. Causing death while driving a car is the same as with any other weapon."

Mrs Ussher was delighted by his assurance.

And Mr Ryan said today: "I am pleased that they are promising to change the law. Five years is a much better sentence for someone who kills while they are driving. It would have been good if this was in place when Levi was killed."

Mr Ryan is working with Mrs Ussher to see if there is any way Hussain's sentence can be increased.

The government brought forward last year the new offence in its Road Safety Bill with a maximum sentence of five years initially triable summarily in a magistrates court with a provision for it to be sent to Crown Court for sentence.

But a spokesman for the government said the House of Lords had removed the last part and said a jail sentence could only be imposed if the case was tried in the Crown Court.

He confirmed that the government was determined to reverse the change.

At the time of Hussain's court appearance there was no offence of causing death by careless driving and prosecutors opted not to proceed with a trail of causing death by dangerous driving, a decision questioned by the family.