A campaign for stricter safety laws for child motorcycle passengers is being brought to the attention of Whitehall.

Eastbourne Tory MP Nigel Waterson was last night meeting transport minister Stephen Ladyman to press for "modest and sensible" reforms.

His campaign follows the death of Sean Pearce-Weston, of Shanklin Close, Eastbourne, in a crash on the A27 Pevensey bypass near Eastbourne in May last year.

Sean, eight, was riding pillion on a family friend's 750cc Honda motorbike when it was in collision with a Ford Fiesta.

A Bill introduced by Mr Waterson in Parliament demands that children wear a properly-fitting and specially-designed child's helmet, after it emerged Sean's headgear was ill-fitting.

He is resisting calls for a blanket ban on children riding pillion.

Mr Waterson first introduced his Bill earlier this year but it made no further progress because Parliament dissolved for the General Election.

He said he was now confident of gaining Mr Ladyman's support.

He said: "This new minister seems to want to listen and I hope the changes will come about."

As well as the demand for a properly-fitting helmet, Mr Waterson is suggesting two other key changes to legislation.

He said there must be clear consent from parents if their child is to ride pillion on another person's bike, backed up by stiff penalties.

And he demanded regulations governing the design of footrests should make it clear that very young children should not ride pillion and footrests should not be modified to cater for them.

New laws are being resisted by motorcycling bodies.

They feel exisiting legislation is adequate and that making changes would be perverse because of so few child pillion accidents.

Sean's mother Cassie Pearce said: "I'm really pleased about all that's being done to bring about changes.

"But why did it have to take someone's death?"