The mother of a teenage Otley boy who was killed by a drink-driver is begging motorists to stay sober this Christmas.

Sixteen-year-old Jamie Still died after being hit by a car driven by Arthington man Max McRae, who was twice over the drink-drive limit and speeding, last New Year’s Eve.

The loss of her son left Karen Strong, who held Jamie in her arms until he died in hospital just before New Year’s Day, and her family devastated.

But she has decided to speak out, as the festive season approaches, in a bid to prevent any more needless deaths – and to campaign for a change in the law.

She said: “To anyone thinking of driving over the limit I would just say look at the devastation we’ve suffered – that could be you and your family.

“If you realised the damage it did you wouldn’t even consider drink-driving because the consequences are absolutely devastating. I am going to do everything I can to try to stop this happening to other families, and hopefully the awareness I can bring will be more hard-hitting than the police campaigns.

“I believe you shouldn’t have even one drink and get behind the wheel and that bringing in zero tolerance would help because it would make things much clearer.”

Ms Strong describes the 11 months since Jamie’s death as being harrowing, both for his family and his friends at Menston St Mary’s School.

She said: "It has been absolutely dreadful. I've pretty much become a recluse, I need to be escorted and I find it hard just to cross a road. And I've been having panic attacks, flashbacks and nightmares.

"But it's not just me who's been affected, it's the wider community - the three boys who were out with Jamie that night, the school, which has named a football pitch after him and planted a tree in Jamie's memory. So many people.

"My dad, who's been an avid Leeds United fan since he was a boy, finds it really hard to go to a match now, because he and Jamie had been season ticket holders and used to go together. He's lost a mate as well as his grandson."

Ms Strong is also calling for the law involving drink-drive related injuries and deaths to be changed, after discovering that McRae was allowed to keep his driving licence for eight months after Jamie's death.

She said: "That doesn't make sense and I'm going to campaign really hard to get the law changed."

The Campaign Against Drink Driving's founder Carole Whittingham, whose 27-year-old son was killed by a drunk joyrider, said: "Whilst we enjoy the festive period as much as others, we are acutely aware some individuals believe alcohol does not affect their ability to drive.

"This misconception can and does lead to fatal results."

Max McRae, 21, of Warren Lane, Arthington, was found to have nearly twice the legal amount of alcohol in his bloodstream when he was tested following the accident that led to Jamie's death. He was jailed for four years, and disqualified from driving for five.