Cameron to meet family of children killed by fumes in holiday hotel

Christie Shepherd, seven, and her six-year-old brother Bobby died in 2006 of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a faulty boiler in their hotel. Their father Neil Shepherd and his partner Ruth Beatson almost died.

Labour’s Mary Creagh said the Legal Aid Agency had refused funding to ensure the family were legally represented at an inquest, which she said Thomas Cook tried to prevent from taking place. Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, the Wakefield MP asked Mr Cameron: “Will you meet with me and the parents to hear why it is imperative that the parents are legally represented at this inquest so the full facts are learned surrounding their children’s deaths so that no other British family suffers a similar tragedy when they take their children on holiday.”

Mr Cameron said he was content to arrange the meetings sought by Ms Creagh, which included one with him and the family.

He told Ms Creagh: “I do remember this absolutely tragic case and it’s appalling it’s taken so long for the inquest to take place.

“When you’ve lost a child you want to know the answers of why it happened and whether it could have been prevented and that lessons will be learnt for the future.

“So I’m very content to sort the meetings you talk about to help in this case and to make sure that the Foreign Office, who do I think do an excellent job at helping people when they’re dealing with issues overseas, is doing all they can to help your constituents.”