A grieving mother has backed a call for people's driving to be re-tested when they reach 70.

In April, the Epsom Guardian covered the case of an 87-year-old driver who received six points on his licence for hitting an MS sufferer in Old Cottage Hospital car park in Epsom - prompting the victim, Helen Harrington, to call for re-testing of the elderly.

Now, Jackie McCord, whose 16-year-old daughter Cassie was killed by a car driven by an 87-year-old in Colchester in February, has supported the proposal.

She has launched a petition calling for the police to be given powers to suspend the licences of those considered to be unfit to drive.

Colin Horsfall who was driving the car that killed her daughter had been stopped by police just three days before after having a minor accident.

Following that incident, he refused to surrender his licence and died from injuries sustained in the crash three months later.

Cassie’s Law would allow officers to suspend a licence in such circumstances, giving a court the decision as to whether it should be removed.

Her petition is fully supported by the Police Federation which said re-testing at 70 needs to be considered.

Mrs McCord, 51, said: "If the police had that power, my daughter would still be alive.

"There have been so many cases where if something simple like this had been done, serious accidents would not have happened.

"Cassie’s Law is the first step I am taking, but there also has to be something in place to get people tested at 70 to assess their fitness to drive - whether that be another driving test, a medical or an eye-test.

"Elderly drivers who are not fit to drive, but continue to do so, are putting their own lives at risk as well as others - and it should not be up to family and friends to coerce an elderly person into not driving."

Magistrates’ courts have the power to disqualify individuals guilty of certain motoring offences and make them take a driving test before being allowed back on the roads, but a figure on how much this power is used is not easily attainable.

Mrs McCord believes an immediate power is necessary to stop motorists getting to court in the first place.

Chris Hunt-Cooke, chairman of the Magistrates’ Association road traffic committee, said the association is "cautious" about Cassie’s Law and would want "appropriate safeguards" in place, but would not rule it out in exceptional cases.

Alan Jones, the Police Federation’s roads policing lead, said: "It is not just about health but also the re-education of road signs and road ethics."

Mrs McCord added: "This is not an ageist ‘let’s pick on elderly drivers’ issue, but an important one about road safety.

"I am doing it for Cassie.

"Something good has to come out of her death in her memory."

Cassie’s Law has over 19,000 signatures - 100,000 are required to trigger its debate in Parliament.

To sign Cassie's Law visit http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/21244