Bereaved family urge gas tests

The bodies of Pam and Les Cox were discovered by their sons, sitting arm in arm on a sofa at their home in Bruce Grove in Wickford, Essex, on November 6.

An inquest at Essex Coroner’s Court heard yesterday the couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning after a blocked coal fire flue caused harmful gases to leak into their lounge.

The court was told Mr Cox, 58 and his 56-year-old wife had been rushed to Basildon Hospital two days earlier after complaining of feeling dizzy, nauseous and disorientated.

But they were discharged the next day by doctors who had not realised they were suffering from the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, the inquest heard.

Essex Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded a verdict of accidental death for both Mr and Mrs Cox.

After the hearing, their sons, Ian and Neil, urged hospitals to test patients for carbon monoxide poisoning and called for more homes to be fitted with detectors to prevent similar tragedies.

Ian, 32, said: “We don’t blame the hospital but maybe they should look at bringing in a mandatory test. It’s such a simple test for a hospital to have. We were given it in the ambulance afterwards and it took two minutes to test our oxygen levels.”