THE Secretary of State for Transport has been challenged to change the law following the tragic death of a Colchester teenager.

Student Cassie McCord died after a car being driven by pensioner Colin Horsfall hit her as she walked on the pavement in Head Street, Colchester.

Three days earlier, police had advised Mr Horsfall, 87, of Rowhedge, not to drive after he went in to a bush as he tried to get in the exit of a petrol station in High Woods, Colchester.

However, he disregarded the warning and continued to drive leading to the crash which took Cassie’s life.

Cassie, who was a student at Colchester Sixth Form College, was just 16.

Her mother Jackie has called for the law to be changed to give police the power to temporarily withold a motorist’s licence if they consider them unfit to drive.

The DVLA would then decide whether to revoke it or return it.

She has the support of Colchester MP Bob Russell, a long-time road safety campaigner.

This week, he challenged the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond to change the law.

For more on this story, see this week's Essex County Standard. Order a copy by phoning 0800 052 1818.