Carbon monoxide fears over death

Ian Mackay alerted police after he was unable to contact his parents

A man has died and his wife has been taken to hospital suffering from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.

Ambulance and fire crews were called to a house in Moorfield Drive in Armthorpe, Doncaster, on Sunday night.

Michael Mackay, 60, was found dead at the scene and his wife Patricia, who is in her late 50s, was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

The couple's son Ian called for carbon monoxide detectors to be made compulsory in every home.

He said: "I'm a biology teacher and I teach my sixth form students about carbon monoxide poisoning because they are going to be going to university next year and they are at risk.

Officers said there was a smell of fumes at the scene

"You don't think it's going to be your mum and dad that succumbs to it.

"Property laws should say that every house should have a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector particularly.

"I can't believe that people wouldn't have a carbon monoxide detector in their house, because you can't smell it, taste it, you don't know it's there. You just feel drowsy and then you don't wake up."

South Yorkshire Police are waiting for the results of a post mortem examination and toxicology tests.

A spokeswoman said there were no suspicious circumstances, but there was a smell of fumes at the scene.

A South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said they believed the fumes had come from a solid fuel fire at the property.