The news that Home Secretary Jack Straw is considering introducing a new law to prosecute child killers will be welcomed by everyone shocked by the appalling Brighton cruelty case.

Three babies died and five others lived in dreadful conditions while in the care of the same couple.

Two of the babies were smothered, according to experts, but because it could not be proved which parent - if either - had carried out the crime, both were acquitted.

It was a move that stunned everyone who had followed the case and sparked a public outcry not seen since the murder of Maria Colwell in 1973.

It was one of the most shocking stories ever to appear in the Argus, and we have campaigned for more than a year for a change in the law to ensure such a scenario can never be repeated.

It was a cause backed by MPs, police and councillors across Sussex.

One option would have been a new offence of joint culpability so that if two people were present at the scene of the crime they could not both escape responsibility.

Mr Straw's proposals do not go that far. He is instead thinking of introducing a new charge of killing a child by neglect, which would carry a maximum sentence of 14 years.

While there is some disappointment that the Home Secretary has rejected calls for a fundamental change in the law, the news that new legislation is being considered is a huge victory for the thousands of people who signed petitions and campaigned in the wake of the case.

As the Argus has said all along, our campaign has never been aimed at finding a scapegoat but to make sure we never have to report such a story again.

If it helps save one child's life, it will have been worthwhile.