A memorial to victims of car crime has been unveiled in west Belfast amid calls for tougher sentencing for so-called joyriders.

The granite monument at Teeling roundabout in Poleglass is a tribute to the 48 people who have lost their lives through car crime in the past 30 years.

It was unveiled on Sunday by Margaret Muir whose brother, Patrick Hanna, was killed after being struck by a stolen car three years ago.

She is a member of the support group Families Bereaved Through Car Crime.

Margaret Muir: Brother killed by car thieves

"Nobody accidentally drives cars at 100 or 120mph in busy roads, in built up areas, " she said.

"And nobody who accidentally knocks someone down drives off and leaves them lying in their own blood to die. So the charge should be murder."

Recently a man was convicted of murdering a police constable he knocked down in his speeding car.

Ms Muir said: "We have been fighting for a long, long time to have this recognised as a serious crime.

"When that trial came to court, it was (recognised as a serious crime) and we're glad that it was. But why has it taken so long?"

Father Martin Magill, from the parish of the Nativity, led the prayers at the ceremony.

He referred to the crime not as joyriding, but as "death driving".

Gerry Adams: Spoke at ceremony

West Belfast MP Gerry Adams spoke at the ceremony and sympathised with the families who had suffered.

He said: "These families have shown great courage and perseverance."

Eleven years ago, Maureen Bramble and her unborn child were killed by car thieves.

Her mother, Molly and sister Angela, attended the ceremony.

"We're going to try everything in our power to stop these boys," said Molly.

Angela added: "Even if you were starting to get over it, there's another killing and it just brings it all flooding back again.

"The most any of them has ever done is six months and got back out again. And as soon as they're out, they're back to doing it again. They're back in the cars.

Within the last year in England, Scotland and Wales there is something like �5m of damage done as a result of car theft

Michael Ferguson Sinn Fein

"If we fight for longer sentences, maybe it'll give them something to think about."

Angela says charging someone with death by dangerous driving is not justice.

"We have "murder" written on Maureen's gravestone: "Murdered by joyriders,'" she said.

Sinn Fein Councillor Michael Ferguson said it made sense not just to concentrate on punishment but also on prevention.

"Within the last year in England, Scotland and Wales there is something like �5m of damage done as a result of car theft.

"The Impact programme which we have in our area is less than a half a million over three years. The moral of that story should be: invest, invest, invest big time in prevention."