THE smiling face of a tragic ten-year-old girl looking up from the dashboard could help prevent North-East drivers from speeding again.

That was the promise last night from The Northern Echo readers touched by the tragic story of Laura Burrows-Schofield.

Laura was killed when she was knocked off her bike by a speeding driver.

She was hit by a car being driven at least 55mph in a 40mph zone in Durham.

Several readers have written to us vowing never to speed again and have now attached Laura's picture to their dashboards to remind them of the tragic outcome.

After the accident Laura's parents, Stephen and Jackie, of Darlington Road, Durham, said they felt let down by the justice system.

A 19-year-old man involved in the accident was fined only £500 for careless driving. He was travelling at least 15mph over the limit.

Last night, reader Alan Moon told The Northern Echo: "In cases like this 'the system' should stop pussyfooting about and class it as dangerous driving."

Mr Moon, of Middleton St George, County Durham, said a campaign to have the law changed reflects "the feelings of thousands of decent folk, not only in our area, but also around the country".

He said: "I make a nuisance of myself by sticking to speed limits and, in the process, see blatant breaches of the law dozens of times per driving-hour.

"We all find it difficult not to drift over a speed limit from time to time, but to drive at 55mph in a 40mph limit is surely intentional.

"In cases like this, the system should stop pussyfooting about and class it as dangerous driving.

"Laura's picture is now prominently displayed in my car."

Another reader, D Brearley, of Middlesbrough, pulls no punches when it comes to speeding motor cyclists.

"With attention being focused on the dangers of excess speeding, can I suggest that newspapers do not waste one drop of ink on words of sympathy for the deaths of motorcyclists who kill themselves because of the way they ride.

"I have just returned from Whitby to Middlesbrough and have witnessed the actions of lunatics who have no regard for speed limits, white lines, blind corners, brows of hills or the rest of the motoring public.

"These people deserve no sympathy, as they demonstrate no consideration for the rest of us. It is an insult to every motorist who has been fined £60 and given three penalty points for driving at 33mph when these morons use the roads like racetracks."

Another reader wrote: "This accident was a terrible tragedy for both families.

"Which of us (drivers) has not at some time needed to take sudden avoiding action on the road, when confronted by a careless pedestrian or cyclist?"

She added: "A near miss is distressing enough - imagine the trauma of actually hitting someone.

"There can be conflicting suggestions as to the potential for fatal injuries at various speeds However, there can be no doubt that significant injuries would be caused at any speed by a car hitting a cyclist on a busy "A" road.

"We must do our best to stress road safety advice to all users of our streets and roads, not just drivers."