RELATIVES of a man mown down by a car want the law changed to prevent people avoiding prosecution by blaming someone else.

Jimmy Mulligan, 73, was killed after a car carrying drug addicts Christopher Eade and Robert Webber hit him at a Gateshead bus stop.

Both admitted being in the car on May 1, 2002, but said the other was driving and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case because of a lack of evidence.

Mr Mulligan's family started the Justice for Jimmy campaign, which led to a review of the case by director of public prosecutions Ken Macdonald.

Mr Eade was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, but last week he was cleared at Leeds Crown Court.

Mr Mulligan's son, Keith, 35, of Gateshead, said: "I do not want another family to go through what I have been through for the past few years."

Today, he is meeting his solicitor to discuss whether or not to demand an investigation into the CPS's handling of the case.

Mr Mulligan said: "This should never be allowed to happened again. I will be asking what safeguards will be put in place to ensure it doesn't."