Bucknell tent death: Hannah Thomas-Jones died from carbon monoxide poisoning

A teenage girl died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a campsite after a used barbecue was left inside the porch of her tent, an inquest has found.

Hannah Thomas-Jones, 14, from Wilmslow, had been staying at the Baron Campsite in Bucknell, south Shropshire, in May.

She had been staying at the campsite with her brother, mother and step-father. All four family members were found unconscious in the tent.

An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Pathologist Dr Cerys Burrows said there were lethal levels of carbon monoxide were found in Hannah's blood.

During the inquest, the family paid tribute to Hannah as a "beautiful and wonderful" person.

They said they wanted to thank everyone who helped them on the day of Hannah's death.

The inquest heard that family members had moved the barbecue into the porch of the tent, to guard against an accidental fire starting.

Fumes from the barbecue had blown from the porch area to the sleeping compartments, the court heard.

Hannah's step-father, Philip Jones, told the coroner the barbecue had "gone down" by the time it was placed in the tent, and was "like hot bricks giving off heat".

Her mother, Danielle Jones, said when she woke in the morning her arms and legs were sore and she could not talk.

"I remember a lot of shouting - I remember both the sides of the tent being opened," she said.

"I just couldn't do anything, I couldn't breathe."

Hannah had been sleeping top-to-toe with her brother and her head was at the back of the tent in a narrower area where there was less air, the inquest heard.

Shaun Baker, of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, who had carried out a reconstruction of the incident, said this had been a contributing factor in her death.

He said: "The only difference between Hannah and the rest of the family was her position in the tent.

"After doing the reconstruction we found that carbon monoxide had pooled at the end of the tent where her head was."

He said the levels would have proved fatal after about three hours of exposure.

Coroner John Ellery told members of Hannah's family: "It's quite clear that you and many, many people were unaware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

"I accept that those vapours went to the top of the tent and probably found their way down to the far end, where tragically Hannah's head was.

"That may well be the explanation why it was she who was so tragically affected."

Mr Ellery offered his condolences to Hannah's family and expressed hopes that the inquest would help raise awareness of the dangers posed by carbon monoxide.