Court says fumes hotel to reopen

A faulty boiler has been blamed for the children's' deaths

The hotel in Corfu where two children died from carbon monoxide poisoning is to reopen after being closed by Greek government ministers.

The Corcyra Hotel had its licence revoked in October when Christi Shepherd, seven, and her brother Bobby, from Horbury, West Yorkshire, died.

Ministers shut the hotel last week after finding it had reopened for the Easter break.

The decision was overturned by the country's highest court on Friday.

A judge ruled tourism development minister Fanny Palli-Petralia was wrong to order the hotel to close immediately when she heard it had re-opened for business last week.

We need to raise awareness in Britain of the situation out there in Corfu and the potential dangers Sharon Wood The children's mother

Christi and Bobby had been on holiday with their father Neil Shepherd and his partner Ruth Beatson when all four were overcome by carbon monoxide fumes.

Hotel officials have since removed the gas-fired water heaters responsible for the children's' deaths.

Safety checks are currently being carried out on the establishment by three different state bodies.

The hotel is owned by the Louis Group, which also owns the cruise liner which sank off the island of Santorini earlier this month.

'Absolutely appalled'

The children's mother Sharon Wood said she was "absolutely appalled" to hear the hotel could reopen.

She said she would be going to Corfu next week to speak to ministers and legal experts to find out why the confusion had arisen.

Ms Wood told BBC Radio Leeds: "We need to raise awareness in Britain of the situation out there in Corfu and the potential dangers.

"We don't understand how this confusion has come about and we need answers."