The grieving mother of PC Jeff Tooley is asking Home Office Minister Charles Clarke: "Have you forgotten me already?"

Veronica Tooley met Mr Clarke in February when she told him how her son, a promising young traffic policeman, was killed by hit-and-run driver John Heaton while on duty in Shoreham.

Heaton was jailed for seven years, reduced to five on appeal.

In February Mr Clarke gave Mrs Tooley hope that he supported our Justice for Jeff campaign for a change in the law to give judges the option of greater powers to punish motorists for causing death by dangerous driving.

Mr Clarke told East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton during the meeting it was his personal desire to see the law changed to give judges increased powers as soon as possible.

This week he has done an apparent U-turn and said an increase in the maximum penalty would be an "empty gesture".

Announcing the publication of a consultation paper on new road traffic penalties, Mr Clarke rubbed salt in the wound by asking the Tooley family to write to him expressing their views.

Mrs Tooley said: "We have already been up to London to meet him with MPs Tim Loughton and Peter Bottomley (West Worthing). I don't know what else we can say to him, or what to make of him asking us to write. I am very shocked and stunned."

The Government proposes keeping the current ten-year maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving.

Ministers concluded an increase in the maximum sentence would serve little purpose since the courts rarely sentenced people to more than seven years.

Mrs Tooley said: "When we spoke to Charles Clarke it looked as if the Government was aiming to get sentences increased for people who caused death by dangerous driving. To leave them as they are is pointless and shameful."