The Northern Ireland pressure group Families Bereaved Through Car Crime travels to Westminster today to demand tougher sentences for car thieves.
It will hand in letters at Downing Street calling for the law in Northern Ireland to be brought in line with Britain and will also meet representatives from all of the main parties.
The group, formed after the death of 15-year-old Debbie McComb last March, has already secured the support of all Northern parties. Last year, they took a 50,000-strong petition to Stormont calling for a seven-point plan to change the sentences imposed on car thieves.
Group spokesman Mr Tommy Holland said the aim was to ensure that no other families suffered the trauma of losing loved ones through so-called joyriding.
"We have already buried our loved ones, sat through the trials and don't expect to gain anything from this for ourselves," he said. "But this continues to happen to other families and brings our own tragedies back to us again and again".
The group has a seven point plan, which includes:
- New law imposing a 15-year criminal offence where car thieves have caused death
- Tough penalties for passengers
- Courts to oppose bail in cases where death is caused
- Families of victims to be kept fully informed at all times
- Setting up of a task force to tackle car crime
- Review of youth provision in areas where car theft is rife
- More resources for community groups to help combat car crime
PA