A MOVE to impose stiffer sentences on fatal accident drivers has been welcomed by the family of a woman who died at Accrington bus station.

But a Commons committee has been told that its move to create a new offence of causing death by negligent driving, with a maximum life sentence, does not go far enough.

The all-party Transport Committee said too many people who killed on the road got away too lightly because of a gap in the law between careless driving and causing death by dangerous driving.

The problem was highlighted following the death of pensioner Joyce Rigby, 61, who was knocked down by a bus at Accrington bus station last October.

The driver, Roy Harris, 44, of Bolland Close, Clitheroe, and formerly of Fife Street, Accrington, received a one-year driving ban and was fined £400 by magistrates last month.

The case prompted police to say there was a gap in the law as there was not sufficient evidence that he had caused death by dangerous driving.

Mrs Rigby's family today welcomed the move towards tougher sentences.

Her son, Mark, said: "This is definitely something we would support after what happened with our mum. We would be behind anything to try to make sure people get a tougher sentence in these cases."

But Hyndburn MP Greg Pope is to lobby ministers to include driving while disqualified or uninsured in any new crime following the death of Amy Houston.

The 12-year-old, of Ravenglass Close, Blackburn, died when she was knocked down in Newfield Drive, Blackburn, last November, by a car being driven by a failed asylum seeker, who was disqualified from driving.

Mr Pope said: "This new offence of causing death by negligent driving is a good idea.

"It would be a much more flexible system which would allow the courts to consider the appropriate penalty for the scale of the offence.

"It would certainly have dealt with the case of Joyce Rigby and I would hope to see any new offence including driving while disqualified or uninsured within the tests."

Amy's grandmother, Maggie Houston, of Russia Street, Accrington, said: "Hopefully this is a step in the right direction towards getting the law changed. We will keep pushing and, hopefully, someone will keep listening."

The committee report said the current law regarding "careless driving" failed to address the problem of where people who were not paying proper attention killed in a vehicle but there was not enough evidence for a charge of causing death by dangerous driving or manslaughter.

Whereas manslaughter carries a possible life sentence, and causing death by dangerous driving carries a 14-year prison sentence, careless and inconsiderate driving carries no custodial sentence and a maximum fine of just £2,500 and a discretionary ban