MPs, drivers and campaigners have called for tougher sentences and changes to the law after a lorry driver was given ten years in prison for taking the lives of four people.

Tracy Houghton, her two sons, Josh and Ethan, and her stepdaughter Aimee Goldsmith were killed instantly when Tomasz Kroker took his eyes off the road to change music on his phone on the A34 in August.

The families spoke of their despair at the 'lenient' sentence on Monday and yesterday a petition was launched for tougher sentences and calls for harsher penalties were backed by MPs, motorists and charities in the wake of the tragedy.

Newbury MP Richard Benyon, who recently brought an A34 safety debate to parliament, said he agreed with the families and called for 'proper sanctions' for drivers who risk causing tragedies.

The father of schoolgirl Liberty Baker, who was killed by a dangerous driver using his mobile phone, went one step further and called for a change in the law.

Paul Baker demanded manslaughter charges be brought against drivers who killed while distracted by their mobile phone.

Mr Baker said: "I would have liked the maximum sentence of 14 years but no-one has ever been given the maximum sentence.

"This guy has violently killed four people, what would constitute the maximum sentence then?

"Whether it's one person or ten person killed, the driver should be charged for the crime they committed which is manslaughter.

"If he was charged with manslaughter he could have been given a longer sentence and the victims' families may have got justice."

Oxford Mail:

Paul Baker pictured here with Liberty's mum Maureen Baker (far right) and Natalie Varney (centre) who ran the London Marathon for the road safety charity Brake

Since Liberty's death in July 2014 the Baker family has worked tirelessly to change the law to see killer drivers charged with manslaughter.

Mr Baker said he felt he had been 'listened to' by politicians and still hoped to see tougher punishments despite being 'disappointed' by Monday's sentencing.

Taxi driver David Harmsworth felt compelled to start a petition called 'Life should mean Life' following the sentencing.

The 27-year-old from Didcot, said he felt the defendant should have been handed a longer jail term, adding he felt Kroker only admitted being on his mobile phone after he was shown the evidence.

He added: “I understand that this was the maximum sentence he could have been given, but at the same time, he has affected two families as a result of this.

"A lot of people locally are distressed by this.

"As a taxi driver I see people on their mobile phones behind the wheel literally all the time, especially on the A34."

He also called for a reduced speed limit on the road, which was recently debated in parliament at the request of Oxfordshire's MPs.

Recently-elected Conservative Witney MP Robert Courts said Transport Minister John Hayes has acknowledged the road had been a concern for 'a considerable length of time' and noted that the number of HGVs was an issue.

Mr Courts said: "I am very pleased the Government has committed to meeting us, as a group of MPs, formally to explore further technical changes that can be made to improve safety and congestion."