THE parents of Liberty Baker have vowed to do all they can to ensure killer drivers get longer jail sentences so no more families are "betrayed by the justice system".

Paul and Maureen Baker from Witney, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed in 2014 when she was hit by a car while walking to school, have been working tirelessly to change the law.

Robert Blackwell received four years in jail after being charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

Mr and Mrs Baker thought he should have been charged with manslaughter.

Speaking for the first time to the Witney Gazette from their home in Thorney Leys, the Baker family told of the work being done to change the law, and also how their lives had changed in the two years since Liberty's death.

Mr Baker said: "The reason we and other bereaved parents campaign is because we do not want another family to go through the heartache we have been through.

"There's nothing more precious to a parent then a child – losing a child is a lifelong nightmare. Families are betrayed by our justice system.

"We have had regular meetings with minister Andrew Jones and he has assured us a sentencing review will take place this year."

Mr and Mrs Baker, and 12-year-old son Finley, are jetting off to Tenerife in August with family friends – the first holiday they will have as a family since Liberty died.

Mr Baker added: "It's still hard but we have to carry on. It's all we can do. You get good days and bad days.

"It was very emotional this month as it would have been Liberty's year 11 prom. She was looking forward to that before she was taken. It's a big part of going into adulthood."

Last month the family attended the second annual music event LibFest, on The Leys in Witney in memory of Liberty, and said it "totally smashed all expectations".

Held for the first time last year the event this time raised £25,500, more than double the amount collected in 2015.

Mr Baker said: "We were totally amazed. Liberty would be so amazed at this. She used to love live music, especially alternate bands. She played the ukele for two years. We thought it was going to be a fad so we bought her a cheap one, then a year later we bought her a real one."

Mrs Baker joked: "I don't drive so if Paul was ever late taking her to her lessons she would go mad.

"She loved music. She used to carry her laptop in the bathroom, music blaring. The Saturday before she was taken she went to see McFly in Weston-super-Mare."

The Bakers have been working closely with road safety charity Brake, after the organisation launched a new campaign called Roads to Justice, fighting for longer sentences for criminal drivers.

Mr Baker said: "The campaign is very visual, hard hitting and real life, showing a dead driver's car that was split in two by a dangerous driver.

"The car was displayed in Parliament Square in view of our MPs.

"I think the driver's parents were very brave. Their son got killed in that car. The car that killed Liberty got crushed."

Police discovered soon after Liberty was killed that driver Robert Blackwell had received a text shortly before he crashed.

The Bakers said the news caused them to always notice when people were using their phones while driving, while feeling powerless to do anything.

Mr Baker said: "We probably notice it now more than before. Drivers have no fear of being caught as they don't see police around.

"Apparently there is something new Vodafone is looking into, so people can't text in the car.

"I've been asking about cameras too. In Australia they are using cameras to catch people using their phones at the wheel."

In a survey by Brake it was found 66 per cent of people questioned said those convicted of death by dangerous driving should be jailed for at least 10 years. About half said the sentence for killing someone in a crash should be at least 15 years. One in five thought drivers who kill should be jailed for life.

At the moment almost half of drivers convicted of killing are not jailed at all, with the average prison sentence being less than four years.

Visit petition.parliament.uk/petitions/156369 to sign the Roads to Justice petition by charity Brake, calling for longer sentences for criminal drivers. Nearly 11,000 people have signed the petition so far.