22nd April 2008 - MEP urges government to act as carbon monoxide death is confirmed

Yorkshire and the Humber Euro MP Linda McAvan has expressed her sadness and renewed her call for carbon monoxide alarms to be fitted in Europe's hotels after the death of a man from carbon monoxide poisoning at a hotel in Newquay this weekend. According to reports, more than 100 people had to be evacuated from the building until the gas was cleared.

Ms McAvan has campaigned on the issue since the tragic deaths of two children from the Wakefield area in 2006. Last year she received assurances that the European Commission would press the hotel industry to adopt a voluntary code of installing carbon monoxide alarms.
 
Ms McAvan said: 

"This weekend, carbon monoxide poisoning claimed another victim in Britain. Such deaths are completely unnecessary. My understanding from media reports is that it was not until paramedics attended the hotel and began to suffer the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning themselves that firemen were called in and the building was evacuated. We obviously need to assemble the facts about exactly what went wrong. But we must take look again at measures to stop this happening ever again. Fitting alarms as standard would greatly reduce the risk and could help save lives."

Ms McAvan is asking the government to look at improving safety measures and to examine the option of ensuring that alarms are installed in all hotels. She is also contacting the European Commission and Europe's Tour Operators to press for urgent discussions on improved carbon monoxide safety measures at European level.