Tourism must 'wake-up' to carbon monoxide

The families of the two children killed by carbon monoxide poisoning on the Greek island of Corfu in October have urged the tourist industry to implement safety regulations that would prevent a similar accident occurring in the future.

Seven-year-old Christie Shepherd and her six-year-old brother were killed when the toxic gas leaked from a faulty boiler while they slept. Their father and his girlfriend were both found in a coma but were nursed back to health in hospital.

Paul Wood, husband of Sharon, the mother of the two children read a statement at a press conference highlighting the need for the tourist firms to wake up to the lack of safety checks in hotels abroad.

They hoped that their plight would stop other holidaymakers dying in the same "pointless" manner.

"We hope that we can contribute to pushing the multi-million pound holiday industry into providing at least a standard level of safety that will allow all future holidaymakers to be confident they will wake up in the morning and take a breath of fresh air," read Mr Wood.

A spokesman for the Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society told the Press Association that the current state of affairs regarding toxic gas poisoning is "a national and international disgrace".

"A European directive is essential," he advised.