THE family of Violet-Grace Youens have launched a campaign calling on the Government to introduce life sentences for motorists convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

Violet-Grace, from Eccleston, died on Saturday, March 25, 2017 after being struck by a stolen car on Prescot Road on Friday, March 24.

The man behind the wheel of the car that killed Violet-Grace was given a jail term of more than nine years but her parents say the sentence was not long enough.

This week they launched an e-petition calling for parliament to consider the creation of Violet’s Law, which would give the courts the powers to jail people convicted of causing death by dangerous driving for life in the most severe cases.

More than 1,500 people have pledged their names to the petition already.

The current sentencing guidelines for someone convicted of causing death by dangerous driving state the maximum jail term is 14 years.

Violet’s mum Rebecca wrote on the petition.parliament.uk website that the stolen stolen car that hit Violet had been travelling at 83mph in a 30mph zone.

Her statement read: “They killed our four-year-old daughter Violet-Grace and severely injured her nan, who has life-changing injuries.

“They will serve less time in prison than Violet was alive. I don’t want other families to suffer like this.

“In October 2017, the Government promised life sentences for death by dangerous driving. It’s now 2019. Innocent people have been killed, but nothing has changed. The law is out of date.

“Anyone convicted of death by dangerous driving should receive life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 15 years. If more than one person is killed or injured, the sentences must run separately.”

The Ford Fiesta that struck Violet had been through two red lights before it lost control and hit a kerb before colliding with Angela French, who was crossing the road with her granddaughter, Violet, in her arms.

The four-year-old died a day later and the incident left Mrs French with life-changing injuries and in hospital for many weeks.

Driver Aidan McAteer, then 23, boarded a plane to Amsterdam within hours of the collision - only returning to the country when his mum made an appeal for him to come back via Merseyside Police.

In May 2017, McAteer was sentenced to nine years and four months after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to causing Violet-Grace's death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury to Angela French.

The passenger, Dean Brennan, then aged 27, was jailed for six years and eight months after admitting the aggravated taking of a vehicle and assisting an offender.

Speaking last month Violet-Grace's parents Glenn and Becky, both 31, who also have a son Oliver, three, said:  "While Violet has a life sentence, we too are suffering with the life sentence of day to day life without her here.

"Meanwhile the two responsible will be out in a shorter time than Violet was alive."

A statement from the family urging people to sign the petition read: “We need as many signatures as possible.

“The current sentence for Death by Dangerous Driving is outdated - the punishment does not fit the crime.

“We want to make the roads a safer place, no parent, or family should feel this pain - we have a life sentence without Violet-Grace.”

Sign the petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/236952