THE family of a North-East student who died from carbon monoxide poisoning has welcomed a Government announcement that landlords must fit alarms in all "high risk rooms" where a solid fuel heating system is installed.

Anne Brennan, 19, from Houghton-le-Spring died in her student digs in Durham City in 1995, prompting The Northern Echo to launch its Silent Killer campaign - calling for carbon monoxide alarms to be fitted to homes in multiple occupation.

The Northern Echo:

An inquest later ruled she was unlawfully killed and her landlord was fined £10,000 for failing to ensure the boiler in the property was properly maintained.

This evening her father, Hugh Brennan said: "Our dear daughter’s life was sacrificed and if there is something comes of that to benefit other people then it is all well and good."

The retired school teacher, now 77, who still lives in Houghton-le-Spring, added: "The Northern Echo has done very well and I am fully supportive of its campaign. I am fully behind it.”

Ministers say the strict new rules will come into force in October this year and any landlord failing to act by that date will be fined up to £5,000.

The crackdown will also apply to smoke alarms and will together prevent up to 36 deaths and 1,375 injuries every year, the Government believes.

Until now, promises of action – by both Labour and the Coalition – have focused on better publicity and awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO), rather than tougher laws.

The charity CO-Gas Safety has recorded 653 deaths since 1995, including in the North-East (28) and North Yorkshire (10).

Meanwhile, eight out of ten households across the region do not have an audible carbon monoxide alarm, according to separate research.

Stephanie Trotter, CO-Gas Safety’s president, said “We are really delighted at this huge progress made and want to congratulate ministers. We are sure that lives will be saved as a result.”

The crackdown was in doubt as it is 16 months since the department for communities and local government (CLG) first suggested it was being considered.

Ministers then published a consultation weighted towards further voluntary measures to encourage landlords to act, rather than regulation.

Nick Raynsford, a London Labour MP, who has campaigned on the issue, said he believed the Government had finally realised the need to use the law was irresistible.

He said: “Their own impact assessment showed the enormous benefits in terms of the lives that will be saved and the injuries that will be prevented.”

An order has been laid that will come into effect before Parliament is dissolved, unless an MP raises an objection and forces a vote.

Mr Raynsford added: “An MP could yet delay it, but there will be huge criticism for anyone who tries to do that.”

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: “I’m changing the law to ensure every tenant can be given this important protection."

In a House of Lords debate, were told of 85,000 complaints against rogue landlords, two-thirds of which related to dangerous gas and electrical installations.