FAMILY and friends of murdered schoolgirl Ellie Gould are spearheading campaigns in a bid to keep others safe in the future.

Ellie’s parents Carole and Matt met with North Wiltshire MP James Gray and Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland on Monday at the House of Commons to continue her fight for justice for Ellie.

Mrs Gould was delighted when he agreed to write to the head of Wessex Crime Prosecution Service Joanne Jakymec to ask her meet with Ellie’s family to explain why the prosecution barrister did not present all the evidence which may have persuaded a judge that the actions of killer Thomas Griffiths were premeditated.

Mrs Gould said: “It will be good to get some answers at last. I will be able to sit opposite her and ask the questions that have been going round and round in my head since the court hearing.

“There are so many things that I want cleared up and it seems that at last that is going to happen.”

Ellie, 17, was murdered by her former boyfriend Thomas Griffiths a fellow sixth former at Hardenhuish School, Chippenham, at her home in Calne in May.

He launched a frenzied knife attack on her in the kitchen and then staged an elaborate cover up to hide the fact he had committed the murder.

Griffiths was 17 when he committed the murder but 18 by the time he was sentenced in November.

Mrs Gould believes his sentence of life but with a minimum term of 12 years was too lenient and the law should be changed so that older teenagers are treated differently to younger children.

She tried, with the backing of the Gazette which launched a Justice For Ellie appeal, to get his sentence reviewed and sent to the Court of Appeal but in December she heard this had not been allowed.

But now after her meeting with Mr Buckland she believes at last she is being listened to.

Swindon MP Mr Buckland said: “I am confident that the meeting with the CPS will go-ahead. I would hope that something positive can come out of this horrendous crime.

“I hope that lessons can be learnt that will help other families in the future.

“I have every admiration for the Goulds and the way they they are so determined but have carried themselves in such a dignified way throughout all of this.”

Mr Buckland has also agreed to look at sentencing rules for older teenagers and safeguards for members of the public if killers change their names by deed poll.

Ellie’s closest friends Ellie Welling, Harriett Adams and Tilda Offen have launched their own campaign to get self-defence lessons introduced into PE lessons at secondary schools.

All three girls were part of Ellie’s closest friendship circle at Hardenhuish and also became friends with Griffiths after he and Ellie started going out.

Ellie Welling, 18, said: “We would never have dreamt he could do anything like he did. Ellie was an amazingly kind and funny girl. She really helped me when I went into sixth form and she welcomed me into her group.”

The girls believe that Ellie might have been able to save herself if she had known basic self-defence moves and so with the help of North Wiltshire MP James Gray are taking the idea up with department of education.