Appeal issued after barbecue tragedy in tent

The leader of a national charity has called on barbecue manufacturers to put warnings on products about the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning following the death of a 14-year-old girl in Shropshire.

Lynn Griffiths, of Carbon Monoxide Awareness, says people are losing their lives by taking barbecues into tents or caravans for warmth.

The ‘silent killer’ is believed to have claimed the life of Hannah Thomas-Jones, who was pronounced dead after paramedics were called to the Baron at Bucknell campsite in Bucknell on May 6.

Her 11-year-old brother Ben Thomas-Jones, mother Danielle and step-father Phil were also taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning but have now been discharged.

The tragedy is believed to have been caused when the family brought a disposable barbecue into the porch of their tent for warmth.

Mrs Griffiths said: “Nobody should ever take a lit barbecue into a tent, caravan, campervan or their home. To do so is courting disaster, but the public don’t seem to be aware of this.”

Mrs Griffiths is also urging MPs to warn constituents about the dangers. Her statement has been echoed by Ludlow MP Philip Dunne. He said: “I am determined to raise public awareness of these risks across the country.”

Exposure to the gas reduces the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen causing the vital organs to fail.

See also:

• Tributes flood in for campsite death girl