Corfu carbon monoxide deaths: Father of children who died on holiday blames Thomas Cook

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The father of two children poisoned by carbon monoxide during a holiday in Corfu has blamed tour operator Thomas Cook for their deaths.

An inquest into the deaths of Christi, seven, and Bobby six, began in Wakefield on 27 April, more than eight years after the holiday that turned into "the most appalling tragedy".

Coroner Mr Hinchliff told the inquest that the children’s father Jack Shepherd, 46, had since suffered from memory problems and post-traumatic stress disorder.

He said: "You're still paralysed with guilt about what happened on what you describe as your watch."

Mr Shepherd and his then-partner, now wife, Ruth, both told the inquest they had seen a boiler room adjacent to the bungalow, next to the children’s bedroom.

On their second day there, they were told by a neighbour that there were problems with the hot water supply.

When asked by Leslie Thomas QC, for the family, if he had anything to say, Mr Shepherd said: "When Mr Richard Carson, the health and safety executive of Thomas Cook, gave his evidence in the criminal trial in Corfu, his defence was that he had no health and safety qualifications so could not possibly have known anything was wrong. That shocked me.

"There were massive gas tanks at the hotel, there was a gas warning light on the side of the boiler house. It is inexcusable for these to be missed and Thomas Cook should not be putting their guests' lives at risk by using unqualified staff to carry out health and safety audits.

"I firmly believe my children would be here today if Thomas Cook had carried out an inspection of the boilers."

Mrs Shepherd added that she wanted to ask Thomas Cook if it felt it was right to put the liability and responsibility for checking such appliances on "untrained, unqualified travel reps who know nothing more than we do".

She said: "We want to know why they feel they should put their profits over the lives of holidaymakers."

The inquest continues.

Additional reporting by PA