An MP has pledged to call on the Home Office to get tougher with dangerous drivers.

Newcastle Central Labour MP Jim Cousins made the pledge after meeting the nephew of pensioner Harry Thompson.

Mr Thompson, of Denton Park House, West Denton, Newcastle, died last November after being hit by banned driver William Tait.

Last week Tait, 35, of Eastgarth, Newbiggin Hall Estate, Newcastle, was jailed for 13 months for dangerous driving and five months for failing to stop after an accident - but nothing for hitting Mr Thompson.

The 74-year-old had been helping a disabled woman across Stamfordham Road in West Denton, Newcastle, when he was knocked down.

Newcastle Crown Court was told Tate had 19 previous convictions for driving while disqualified, 14 for driving without insurance and six previous jail terms for other offences.

Yesterday, Mr Thompson's nephew Kevin Oldfield, 42, of Addiewell, West Lothian, met Mr Cousins to discuss a "widescale" review of driving legislation.

Mr Oldfield said: "Mr Cousins is organising a meeting with the Crown Prosecution Service and the policemen who were involved in the case.

"What he is going to ask is why it wasn't possible to charge Tait with more serious offences.

"I understand that the sentence was all that the law allowed the judge to give, but at the end of the day the legislation is inadequate," he said.

"The law is too soft."

Mr Cousins said: "The careless driving charges carry too weak a penalty and there appears to be potential weaknesses in the definition of dangerous driving.

"I'll be speaking to the CPS to explore this with them and discuss how this particular case throws light on weaknesses in the law.

"Then I'll be taking my findings to the Home Office."

Tait was charged only with careless driving for hitting Mr Thompson because he was within the road's 40mph limit.

After hitting the pensioner, Tait drove through Blakelaw at speeds well above limits, mounted a kerb, lost control of the silver BMW and drove over grassland before hitting a tree.

Mr Thompson was knocked down at the place where seven-year-old David Cameron was killed on June 28.

David's parents, Debbie, 34, and David, 41, were friends of Mr Thompson.

Mr Cousins yesterday said he had some safety issues with that stretch of road, which he planned to pursue with Newcastle City Council.

The Journal: Today's Voice Of The North