Faulty boiler blamed for children's deaths in Corfu

A faulty boiler has been blamed for the deaths of two British children in a Corfu hotel bungalow.

Christianne Shepherd, seven, and her brother Robert, six, were found to have been poisoned by carbon monoxide fumes.

Greek pathologist Professor Theodore Vouyouklais said the source of the deadly gas was believed to be a hot water boiler in the room next door, although this had yet to be proven.

After examining the children's bodies, he said high levels of carbon monoxide had been found.

The children's father Neil Shepherd, 38, and his girlfriend Ruth Beatson, 27, were in hospital in a serious condition after they were found unconscious in the same room as the children.

Medical staff were waiting to tell the couple, from Horbury, West Yorkshire, about the deaths of the children until their condition improved.

A cleaner at the five-star Corcyra Beach Hotel in Gouvia discovered the family on Thursday morning.

The children's grief-stricken mother Sharon Wood, 35, took flowers to the scene, supported by her partner, as well as Greek and consular officials.

Earlier she was said to have been "inconsolable" after going to see their bodies at a mortuary.

Guests at the hotel were in a sombre mood as the bungalow where it happened remained cordoned off by police. Personal items such as inflatables and children's shoes remained on the rear patio of the bungalow.