MOTHER of a Whitefield teenager killed by a drink-driver has started a campaign for tougher sentences.

Mrs Edwina Veeder has spoken of her anger after her daughter Alexandra's killer had his seven-and-a-half-year jail term cut to six years on appeal.

In April, 25-year-old Gursharan Singh Panesar was jailed at Nottingham Crown Court after he admitted causing the deaths of 21-year-old Alex, of Ringley Drive, and her friend Robert Bradley (20), from Northern Ireland, by dangerous driving.

However, three judges at London's Criminal Appeal Court last week cut the sentence to six years saying he had not been given enough credit for his early guilty plea, his previous excellent character and his heart-felt remorse.

Mrs Veeder said she had set up the Rob and Alex Justice Campaign and was working with the Campaign Against Drink Driving (CADD) to try and get the law toughened. She said: "It's very important at this time of year to get the message across, especially coming up to Christmas as people might just read it and sign showing their support.

"We will then take the campaign to Downing Street. It is not going to do anything for Rob and Alex but if we can help save one life then it has been worth it."

Speaking about the reduction in Panesar's sentence, Mrs Veeder said: "I feel sickened, dismayed and angry that the sentence has been reduced so that in reality he will only have to serve four years.

"I don't believe it sufficiently marks the gravity of our loss and I will be calling on the Home Office to review the maximum sentences allowed for crimes of this nature to send out a sterner message."

The grieving mother said Panesar had been given a sentence of three years for each life he took and added: "There is no charge of manslaughter for drink-driving but that is totally wrong. The judicial system is wrong."

She said the appeal hearing had forced the families to relive the terrible events of December 16 last year all over again.

She added: "Now Panesar can look forward to an earlier release date, but we are still serving our life sentences in our grief for Alex. I know it sounds cliched when people say that but it is true.

"We are the victims of crime but we are serving the life sentence."

A photography student at Nottingham University, Alex was returning home from an end-of-term Christmas party when she and her friend Robert were struck by Panesar's car.

The car, which was travelling the wrong way down a one-way street, mounted the pavement and mowed down the pair.

Robert was impaled on nearby railings and died at the scene as a result of his horrific injuries.

Alex died later in hospital.

Panesar, of Alperton, west London, drove away from the scene but later gave himself up to police.

He was three times over the drink-drive limit and had being doing at least 40mph when he lost control of the car.