THE Steve Prescott Bridge will light up tonight to mark the second anniversary of Violet-Grace Youens' death.

Violet was struck by a speeding car on the afternoon of Friday, March 24, 2017 while walking home with her grandmother Angela French on Prescot Road, St Helens.

The four-year-old died in hospital the next day, March 25. Angela suffered life-changing injuries.

The bridge will turn violet as the St Helens community remembers the Eccleston youngster.

St Helens Star: Pictures of Violet-Grace provided by her parents

Yesterday a petition calling for life sentences for dangerous drivers who kill reached the 100,000 mark.

Last month, Violet's parents Glenn and Becky Youens, from Eccleston, started the online petition calling for tougher sentences for drivers who kill.

They want anyone convicted of causing death by dangerous driving to receive life imprisonment, with a minimum tariff of 15 years.

If more than one person is killed or injured in the incident, they want sentences for each offence to run consecutively rather than concurrently.

St Helens Star:

Posters on Prescot Road urge drivers to slow down

Aidan McAteer, the driver of the car that struck Violet at 83mph, was sentenced in May 2017 to nine years and four months behind bars.

Due to his early guilty plea he will serve just half of that time in jail. This was less time than Violet was alive.

Once an e-petition passes 100,000 signatures the issue can be considered for debate in parliament.

Eighteen months ago the government promised to strengthen the laws for causing death by dangerous driving.

But progress on the changes has stalled, with the Ministry of Justice saying to push ahead when "parliamentary time allows it".