Spreading message of silent killer risk (From The Northern Echo)

Spreading message of silent killer risk

8:03am Tuesday 8th July 2008 in

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THE parents of two children who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Corfu last night called on the travel industry to do more to raise awareness of the dangers of the gas.

Christi Shepherd, seven, and her six-year-old brother, Bobby, were killed by carbon monoxide fumes while on a half-term holiday in October 2006.

The children's mother, Sharon Wood, yesterday said that the travel industry needed "to face up to its responsibility" and work harder to avoid another tragedy.

"The children would be here if we'd known about the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning,"

she said.

"We'd like for people to be able to identify what buildings have carbon monoxide in them when they book a holiday."

She added: "If there is gas in an accommodation, we would like a monitor to be provided.

"We'd also like the boiler servicing contracts to have a European standard. In Greece, they have to service boilers every five years - in the UK it's every year."

Speaking at the launch of a poster campaign aimed at educating the public about the dangers of the gas, Mrs Wood said self-regulation within the travel industry was not sufficient and Government intervention was required.

"It's disgraceful. It's just like their lives don't mean anything,"

she said.

"There should be somebody imposing these rules over the tourist industry."

The children were on holiday with their father, Neal Shepherd, and his partner, Ruth Beatson, at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel, when fumes from a neighbouring apartment apparently leaked in.

During the night of the tragedy, Mr Shepherd heard his daughter cry and crawled over to her bed.

He tried to revive the children before he was overwhelmed by the gas.

Mr Shepherd and Ms Beatson also attended yesterday's launch.

He supported Mrs Wood's calls for more action from the tourist industry.

"We don't want to be sat in the same position with another family,"

he said.

Mr Shepherd said more education was needed into the dangers of the gas.

"If the children had been told in class, if they were aware of the situation, just maybe they might have said, Daddy, there's something wrong, could it be this?"' Children's Minister Ed Balls, who joined the families at the launch, said he was "completely behind" the school poster competition.

* The competition is being run by the Carbon Monoxide Gas Safety charity. For more details, visit co-gassafety.co.uk/ competition.html

Silent Killer

A NORTHERN ECHO CAMPAIGN

THE Northern Echo launched its Silent Killer campaign following the death in 1995 of Durham University student Anne Brennan. The campaign is aimed at encouraging landlords and others to make sure gas heating appliances are properly maintained.