TWO North-East mothers whose personal tragedies led to changes in the law have called on the Government to do more for victims.

Ann Ming and Pat Gibson became national figureheads for tougher sentencing after losing a child in terrible circumstances.

Mrs Ming's campaign came to a head last week when Home Secretary David Blunkett announced a plan to change the 800-year-old double jeopardy rule.

Following the murder of her daughter, Julie Hogg, Mrs Ming spent 12 years fighting to reform the law which prevents people being tried twice for the same crime.

Her victory means former Teesside labourer Billy Dunlop could face a landmark retrial for the murder in 1989.

Dunlop, formerly of Flodden Way, Billingham, has already been acquitted of the crime once. But he later admitted to lying in court and was jailed for six years for perjury.

Mrs Ming, 55, from Norton, Teesside, learned last week of Government plans to retrospectively abolish the law, leaving the way open for Dunlop to be retried.

Mrs Gibson, of Darlington, battled to change the 366 day rule, which said an attacker could not be tried for murder or manslaughter if their victim survived more than a year and a day after an attack.

Her son, Michael, was the victim of an unprovoked assault in Darlington town centre which left him in a coma.

Michael's attacker, David Clark, could not be charged with manslaughter because his victim died 16 months after the attack.

Despite living just a few miles apart the two battling mothers have never met - until now.

During the 90-minute conversation at Caf Gulp, in Darlington, the pair talked about their respective battles to change the law and the traumas they had gone through.

When asked by Mrs Ming how she felt when she learned, in 1996, that her fight had been successful, Mrs Gibson said: "Michael achieved something in dying the way he did. I was there to see that done and I was thrilled."

She described the "great feeling of satisfaction" she had that people had already been prosecuted under what is informally known as the "Gibson Law".

Mrs Ming said: "You feel as though your child hasn't died in vain."

The pair, who were joined by Mrs Ming's husband, Charlie, also learned they had often thought about each other.

Both parents are united in their desire to see the Government doing more to help the victims of crime.

"The changes announced last week should help redress the balance," said Mrs Gibson. "But there is still a way to go."