THE mother of a man stabbed to death in a samurai sword attack minutes after his attackers car had been stopped by police is calling for a change in the law.

Christopher Mills, 22, was killed at his West Drayton home in January 2006 by two men brandishing the weapons.

His killers, Neil Moran and Gavin Ward, had been stopped just 11 minutes before when they were spotted driving erratically. But officers did not search the vehicle and the pair continued on the short drive to Christopher's flat.

Now his mother, Gill Mills, of Emden Close, West Drayton, is calling for police to get automatic rights to search any vehicle they stop. At the moment, they have to have sufficient grounds.

She has launched an e-petition, calling on the government to change the law.

It reads: "Any officer of the law should have automatic right to search a vehicle when they have stopped that vehicle to question the driver/passenger for whatever valid reason."

Mrs Mills said: "I still remember a police inspector saying to me: Can you imagine how those police officers must have felt?

"If only they had been able to search that car, my son would not have died."

Six years on, the 49-year-old administration worker at Hillingdon Hospital says she has no anger over her son's death but hopes something positive can now come out of it.

"If I can get the law changed and avoid this ever happening again then at least that will be something," she said.

The e-petition, which will be open for a year, needs to reach 100,000 signatures if it is to trigger a Parliamentary debate.

Christopher's family, which also includes his stepfather Jim and 15-year-old sisters, Casey and Kerry, are now embarking on an awareness-raising campaign through the internet and social media, to drum up support.

To sign the petition visit http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/28509

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