Stuart Cunningham-Jones died in December last year

The European Commission has announced proposals which could eventually make seatbelts compulsory on all new public buses.

Relatives and friends of Stuart Cunningham-Jones founded a pressure group called Stuart's Campaign to lobby for tighter school bus safety restrictions after the 12-year-old died in a crash.

Stuart's parents have welcomed the new proposals.

Stuart died when the double-decker bus he was travelling home from school on crashed last December.

The double-decker bus left the road and hit a tree

The 92-seat bus, which was operated by a local company called EST, had not been fitted with seatbelts.

The Cowbridge Comprehensive School pupil, who was on the top deck, was killed when the bus careered off a narrow bridge and hit a tree in his home village of Ystradowen.

Ten of the 75 other Cowbridge Comprehensive School pupils on the bus were injured.

Under the new plans, the European Commission is hoping to make safety belts compulsory equipment on all new commercial motor vehicles from July 2004.

'Long overdue'

Safety campaigners, who have been fighting to bring in belts on school buses, welcomed the proposals saying they were "long overdue".

BUSK (Belt Up School Kids) spokesman Charles Pedrick said: "It's when you see the parents and brothers and sisters of those who have died.

"It absolutely devastates their lives.

"We can't understand why the EU has taken so long over this.

"As an organisation we feel it's long, long overdue."

The BUSK lobby group supports Stuart's Campaign which has been calling for belts on school buses.

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: "It's a draft proposal which obviously we will consider."