Katie Haines Memorial Trust launches carbon monoxide awareness video (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Katie Haines Memorial Trust launches carbon monoxide awareness video

9:00am Thursday 1st November 2012 in News By Liz Day

THE family of a Cotswolds woman from who died from carbon monoxide poisoning has launched a video to raise awareness about the "silent killer".

Katie Haines was 31 when a faulty boiler filled her home with carbon monoxide in 2010.

Her husband, who discovered the tragedy when he returned from work, and Katie's parents set up the Katie Haines Memorial Trust to educate people about the dangers of the gas.

Katie’s mother Avril Samuel said she hoped the film would encourage more people to buy carbon monoxide detectors. "We decided to make a simple film that would get the message across," she said.

"People think carbon monoxide poisoning only happens abroad or in sub-standard housing, but we know that is not the case," she added.

Katie and her husband Richard were married in St Mary’s Church in Fairford in December 2009, before flying to South America for their honeymoon. The couple had only recently travelled back to the UK when Richard returned from work to find Katie unconscious in the bath.

"You do not get over the grief," said Avril. "It is very difficult to keep talking about what happened to Katie, but we want to get the message to as many people as possible."

The film was aired at three meetings in the House of Lords and the House of Commons on October 15. Avril said the government held consultations with people who had been affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, but she would like to see them do more.

"They are preaching to the converted," she said. "Right from the first moment, we were shocked to find that there were no adverts promoting awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide. We need to get the message out more widely."

Avril said she hoped to make more films in the future. "We would like to make it an ongoing project," she added. "I’m particularly concerned about the most vulnerable sections of society, such as the elderly and students, so we would like to target them through films."

Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week will take place from Monday, November 19. For more information, visit katiehaines.com. The film can be accessed through YouTube.