The curry that killed him: Video shows allergy sufferer Paul Wilson ordering meal from Yorkshire restaurant

The 38-year-old from Sheffield expressly asked for a meal containing no nuts - not knowing that the restaurant’s cost-cutting owner had substituted groundnut powder for almonds.

Mr Wilson’s parents said just a mouthful of the contaminated chicken tikka masala takeaway would have been enough for him to know something was seriously wrong.

Yorkshire curry restaurant boss guilty of killing customer with nut allergy

Mr Wilson was only seven when he had a reaction to a Marathon chocolate bar which required him to have hospital treatment, and led to his diagnosis.

Throughout his career in the hospitality industry, running bars and restaurants, he was “meticulous” about dealing with nuts, his parents said.

His mother Margaret and father Keith said even the smell of nuts, or accidentally drinking from the same glass as someone who was eating them, could trigger a reaction.

At a cousin’s wedding he had a reaction after eating a piece of cake, despite avoiding the marzipan, but was all right after drinking a lot of water and taking an anti-histamine.

If he was going on holiday he would call the airline and ask them not to serve nuts on the flight as he could get a reaction just from smelling peanuts through the plane’s air conditioning.

He loved curry but was always clear with staff about his allergy, asking for his meal not to be cooked in peanut oil and saying it must not contain any nuts.

That, tragically, did not happen when he picked up a takeaway from the Indian Garden in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, despite the order and the takeaway carton lid saying “no nuts”.

Mrs Wilson said: “Nothing can bring Paul back but it is our sincere hope that his death will raise awareness in the food industry so this never happens again. We also ask anyone with a food allergy to always be aware.”

She added: “He was always very, very careful whenever he was out in a restaurant or working.”

Mr Wilson said: “We wouldn’t want any other parents to go through this.”

NUT ALLERGIES: THE FACTS

• How bad is the problem of peanut allergies?

According to the charity Allergy UK, peanut allergy prevalence among children in Western countries has doubled in the past 10 years.

• What do doctors say about the increase?

Amena Warner, the charity’s head of clinical services, said it prompted research into peanut allergy and asked the “question if early introduction into a baby’s weaning diet could produce tolerance of the immune system and prevent peanut allergy for future generations”.

• What should you do if someone seems to be having a reaction?

Ms Warner said a severe reaction, known as anaphylaxis, happens very quickly and is an acute emergency which should not be underestimated. She said people should look out for a patient having difficulty breathing, feeling faint or passing out if they have been exposed to a food they are allergic to.

“An ambulance should be called and the person taken to hospital as soon as possible,” she said. “If the person carries adrenaline, this should be administered. If asthma is present and not well controlled, this can be an additional risk factor.”

• Has anything changed since Paul Wilson died in January 2014?

“Food labelling legislation was introduced in December 2014 to help people identify and know exactly what is in their food, such as the 14 most common foods to cause an allergic reaction,” Ms Warner said. “Still, accidental exposure may occur.”

Previously: Peanut allergy diner died after Yorkshire Indian restaurant owner ‘ignored repeated warnings’