A 21-YEAR-OLD man who lost control of his car and killed a mother-of-two has been banned from driving for 12 months.

Ngoc Chau Lam, of Stopes Road, Little Lever, pleaded guilty at Bolton Magistrates Court to driving without due care and attention.

Ellen Newman, aged 46, of Market Street, Stoneclough, was thrown 20 feet down an embankment off Stoneclough Road, Kearsley, when she was hit by Lam's Ford Fiesta on January 5.

After the court case, Miss Newman's family said they were shocked at the leniency of the sentence.

The court was told that Lam was on his way to deliver money to a restaurant at around 11.40am when he lost control of his car on the S-bend stretch of Stoneclough Road, which local residents say is an accident blackspot.

Zoe Salter, prosecuting, said: "As he entered the right hand bend, he lost control of the vehicle, mounted the footpath on the near side and collided with a female pedestrian and a tree."

Witnesses reported seeing the car driving at speed along the road and hearing screeching as the driver tried to regain control.

Lam suffered minor injuries in the collision.

Kimberley Morton, defending, said Lam admitted driving at about 35mph in a 30mph zone.

He could not regain control of his car once it began to swerve and there may have been diesel on the road which caused the car to skid.

"I think it's fair to say Mr Lam is devastated by this incident," said Miss Morton. "He tells me that since the accident, he has not been able to drive or return to work. He feels extremely remorseful about the accident and the unfortunate tragic consequences."

The court heard that Lam had been driving for four years and had a clean driving licence before the accident. Tests found no alcohol or drugs in his blood.

Olwyn Sandiford, chairman of the bench, told him: "The consequences of this incident were very serious, but you are not being charged with dangerous driving.

"You have been summoned for driving without due care and attention and we are sentencing you on that basis.

"Our guidelines are that there should be points on your licence and a fine. But in this instance, using our discretion, we are going to disqualify you from driving for 12 months."

Lam was also fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £35. Stoneclough Road has seen a spate of accidents, with 17 accidents resulting in 27 casualties over a three-year period.

Miss Newman's brother, Morris, of Charlestown, Salford, said he could not believe how lenient Lam's sentence had been.

"I am quite shocked, but I didn't know what to expect. None of the family is happy with the case," he said.

Mr Newman said the family would now wait for the coroner's report and consider bringing further legal action against Lam.

He also pledged to continue campaigning for safety measures on Stoneclough Road.