A local newspaper’s campaign for roadside drug tests has taken a further step forward with the establishment of an expert panel to review drug-driving laws.

The Croydon Advertiser launched its Lillian’s Law campaign following the death of 14-year-old Lillian Groves who was knocked down and killed by a driver high on cannabis.

It reached Number Ten in November with a promise from Prime Minister David Cameron that he would he would review current legislation.

Now the Department of Transport has announced a panel made up of scientists and academics will consider the technical aspects of introducing a new offence of driving with an illegal substance in your body, as well as establishing legal limits for drivers.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning cited Lillian’s Law as one the driving forces behind this week’s announcement.

Speaking to the Advertiser, he said: “It’s hugely important when families like Lillian’s are willing to commit themselves to change the law. It helps provide us with the impetus to make it happen.

“I can only imagine how difficult it is for them, after being touched by such a terrible loss, not to sit back but to make every effort to make sure it doesn’t happen to other people.”

Lillian’s Law calls for the introduction of roadside testing devices and zero tolerance on drug-driving.

David Cameron met with Lillian’s family and Advertiser reporter Gareth Davies in November when he admitted the teenager’s death showed a need for roadside testing.

Said Gareth: “It’s encouraging to see that the Prime Minister has already begun to act on his promise to review the law on drug-driving. The scientific panel is another step towards Lillian’s Law and that our campaign has had some influence on its creation is really satisfying.

“The campaign is far from over. I share the concern, voiced by others who have backed calls for Lillian’s Law, about the lack of concrete information on when legislation can be expected to change or when drug-driving devices will be made available to the police for use in stations, let alone by the roadside.”

Mr Penning agreed with the Prime Minister that the current need to prove drugs had impaired driving was ‘all wrong’ and described the existing powers given to the police, which involve basic balance and coordination tests, as ‘archaic’.

He added that tests for drugs should be similar to those for alcohol.

The Advertiser's front page last month after its campaign was backed by Prime Minister David Cameron

The panel is expected to start work in the spring and will consider the effects of drugs such as cocaine, MDMA and cannabis.

However, a drugs testing company said the panel could delay reform of drug-driving laws for a decade.

Concateno, which supplies roadside drug-testing equipment used in countries such as Australia and Italy, fears that the panel deciding the levels of drugs required to cause impairment could delay any decision on the change to the law for another decade.

As well as pressure from the Advertiser’s campaign, the DFT’s announcement is a response to a report by Sir Peter North which called for more action to be taken on drug-driving.

The Groves family believe roadside testing devices, already used to successfully reduce drug-driving in countries like Australia and Italy, would have found driver John Page was unfit to drive. Instead a blood test was conducted nine hours later and he was charged with the lesser offence of causing death by careless driving, rather than under the influence of drugs.