THE father of a schoolgirl who died after being knocked down by a disqualified driver has won his campaign for a new law in her memory.

Paul Houston was furious when the motorist who hit his 12-year-old daughter Amy was only given a four-month jail sentence for driving without insurance and while disqualified and failing to stop after an accident.

No charge relating to Amy's death was brought and since then he has battled for a change in the law to crack down on drivers who cause injury while flouting motoring laws.

In February, the Government promised to introduce changes and it has now published amendments to its Road Safety Bill to create a new offence of causing death when driving whilst unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured.

The new offence will carry a penalty of up to two years in jail.

Speaking almost two years since Amy, of Ravenglass Close, Blackburn, was killed by Mohammed Ibrahim, in Newfield Drive, Blackburn, Mr Houston said: "I am delighted -- it is what I have been fighting for for the past two years."

The campaigning father, of Russia Street, Accrington, added: "Some people will say it hasn't gone far enough, but it is a start.

"After Amy died I felt that justice hadn't been done and that her life had not be taken into consideration in the courtroom. I felt I owed it to my daughter to do something -- she was everything to me and she still is.

"This is some sort of justice for her. It won't bring her back, but it means she died for a reason so that this law would be changed. It is a fitting tribute to her."

Announcing the plans, criminal justice minister Fiona Mactaggart said: "We have listened to the people who backed Amy's father and the Lancashire Evening Telegraph when they campaigned for Amy's Law.

"The measures we are launching are to create tougher and more effective laws to deal with those people who kill someone while driving illegally.

"I know that all too often families such as Amy's have felt let down by the justice system. Our message is that drivers must face the consequences of their actions."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope, who has supported Mr Houston's campaign, also welcomed the news.

He said: "The sooner it is on the statute books, the better. Nothing is going to bring Amy back, but at least, as a tribute to her, we can see that the same travesty of justice doesn't happen again."

Mr Pope also paid tribute to Amy's dad.

He added: "Paul Houston has been dogged about this, and rightly so. It is really hard for an individual to change the law in this land, but the Government and Parliament wouldn't have done this without his persistent and determined campaigning."

The amendments to the Road Safety Bill also create a new crime of causing death by careless driving with a maximum sentence for killer motorists of up to five years in prison.

They will be debated next month in the House of Lords before the Road Safety Bill goes to the House of Commons. It is expected to become law early next year.