Gas death landlord fined £60,000

Katie Overton was described as "a lively girl" who loved horses

The parents of a girl who died from carbon monoxide poisoning want new gas safety laws after their landlord was fined £42,000 for breaching them.

Katie Overton, 11, suffocated in March 2003, after breathing in gas leaking from an old boiler at her family's rented home in Southsea, Hampshire.

Paul Clark faced three charges for not having a gas certificate and a fourth for failing to maintain gas equipment.

Katie's parents, Paul and Debbie Overton called for tighter regulations.

It gets worse over the years as our daughters are growing older, they' re starting to understand the loss of their sister more and more Katie's father Paul Overton

Mr Overton, who has two younger daughters, said: "We just have to carry on day-to- day. We miss her all the time.

"It gets worse over the years as our daughters are growing older.

"They' re starting to understand the loss of their sister more and more.

"I don't hold him [Mr Clark] wholly to blame for what happened to our daughter.

"I think there should have been safeguards in place by the government and the gas to make sure this kind of thing can't happen.

"We call for tighter regulations and education to promote awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide so no other family suffers as we still do."

Paul Overton wants the government to put more safeguards in place

Clark, from Portsmouth, was fined £42,000 for breaching gas safety legislation and was also ordered to pay £18,000 costs at Winchester Crown Court on Friday.

Stephanie Trotter, president of the charity, CO-Gas Safety, said: "I am glad this case has been taken more seriously than some in the past but we need to raise awareness of this, I do not think this landlord realised the dangers of carbon monoxide toxicity."

The prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive.

Mike Harrison, from the Health and Safety Executive, said: "Being a landlord brings with it very definite responsibilities and in this case particularly in relation to gas safety."