MORE than 2000 names have been collected on a petition by grieving Ipswich mum Denise Downing.She is now hoping to send off the petition to the Home Office this week in a bid to campaign for tougher sentences for hit and run drivers following the death of her son Marc last summer.

MORE than 2000 names have been collected on a petition by grieving Ipswich mum Denise Downing.

She is now hoping to send off the petition to the Home Office this week in a bid to campaign for tougher sentences for hit and run drivers following the death of her son Marc last summer.

Marc, 22 died after being hit by a car while on holiday in Cornwall but the driver Hayley Matthews was fined just £83 after admitting driving without insurance or MOT, driving with two defective tyres and failing to stop and report an accident.

The 25-year-old drove off after colliding with Marc on a dark road last August.

Mrs Downing, who works in an Ipswich shoe shop said: "I have been overwhelmed by the support.

"I have even had people travelling into Ipswich and come into the shop to see if they can sign the petition."

Tonight, Mrs Downing's fight to get tougher sentences for hit and run drivers will be shown on BBC 1's Real Story, presented by Fiona Bruce.

Mrs Dowing said: "I just want to prove (to the Home Office) that the general feeling of the public is that these hit and run accidents are happening far too often.

"Fines are just not enough. There needs to be a minimum sentence for hit and run drivers particularly where the victim has lost their life."

Do you think the law should be changed? Write in to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk or visit the forum at www.eveningstar.co.uk