THE PAIN in Joanne Wark’s voice is clear as she speaks about losing her only child to a drink-driver.

Callum Wark was on his way home from work in March 2014 when a lorry collided with his Renault Clio on the A1246 near the Selby Fork junction.

Behind the wheel of the wagon was Bulgarian Stoyan Andonov Stoyanov, 56.

He was breathalysed by police and found to be more than twice the drink drive limit.

After pleading guilty at York Crown Court, Stoyanov was handed a seven and a half year sentence.

This was never accepted by the 19-year-old’s parents Joanne, 49, and Robert, 56, who are today backing The Road To Justice campaign.

The campaign calls on the Government to re-write sentencing guidelines to help judges sentence dangerous drivers for longer.

Mrs Wark said: "We had a very good judge and he gave the lorry driver the maximum sentence, but we were incredibly upset about it.

“As Callum’s parents nothing would have been long enough for us, but what really annoys and upsets us is that it’s all geared towards the perpetrator and what’s fair for them.

“Whether you are found guilty or plead guilty you are guilty of that crime, so why should the sentence be credited? It doesn’t make sense."

The family, from Swillington, near Leeds, felt aggrieved because offenders are given a reduced sentence if they enter an early guilt plea.

They launched their own campaign for tougher sentences with the help of Elmet and Rothwell MP, Alec Shelbrooke.

“Stoyanov got into a lorry and whether it was a knife, gun or baseball bat it was still a lethal weapon," added Mrs Wark.

"He got into one extremely drunk, so how did he think this was going to end?

"He should have been manslaughter because that fits with what he was doing.

“If he had gone to trial he could have got 11 years.

“There is so much taken off their sentence because of an early guilty plea.

“We definitely feel let down by the law."

Mr Shelbrooke spoke in the House of Commons and secured an adjournment debate to raise the issue of strengthening the sentences for those guilty of causing death by driving while under the influence of alcohol.

"Alec Shelbrooke is constantly talking with other MPs and those in charge of justice and transport," added Mrs Wark.

"This is something that for us as parents we tried to do in his name and we don’t want his death to be in vain and for other families to go through what we did.

"As the law stands there is no deterrent to drink driving and offenders re-offend time and again because they get away with it."

The Press wants judges to be given the power to hand out long sentences to those who kill or seriously injure others on the roads, and call on the Government to make this possible.

To support the campaign, go to https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/156369 and sign the petition to urge MPs to take action.

Follow the campaign on twitter @PressCampaign and www.facebook.com/theroadtojustice