Published: Wednesday, 18th March, 2009 12:30pm

Don't let another child die this way

by Nicola Findlay

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Muireann McLaughlin tragically died after becoming entangled in a blind cord.

THE parents of a Menstrie toddler who died after becoming entangled in a blind cord have told a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) that they want to make sure no other family loses a child in such tragic circumstances.

Muireann McLaughlin died on 5 February last year after the horrific accident in her home – and her devastated parents Katie and Angus are now calling for a national campaign to raise awareness of the danger the cords pose to children.

They gave evidence on Thursday at the FAI held at Alloa Sheriff Court, and spoke of their devastation at losing Muireann.

And, afterwards, in a statement, Katie and Angus said, 'On 5 February 2008, our bright and beautiful daughter Muireann Caitlin McLaughlin died as a result of a dreadful accident in our family home.

'She was aged two years and five months. Her passing has left us all utterly devastated and we wish to do all we can to prevent another family from suffering as we have.

'While at this stage it would be inappropriate for us to say anything which might pre-empt the court"s determination and any recommendations it might wish to make, we have sought this inquiry in order that anyone having care of young children, parents, grandparents, carers and babysitters alike, should be made aware at the earliest opportunity of the terrible danger posed to children by roller window-blind cords left hanging in a loose hoop and of what steps should be taken to counteract this danger.

'We suspect there are many homes throughout the country where this danger remains unchecked and we urge all parents to review the safety of any such blinds immediately.

'In addition we earnestly hope that this inquiry will receive as much publicity as possible to bring this threat to the attention of all installers, manufacturers and suppliers of roller-window blinds, so that safer methods of installing such cords may be adopted without delay.'

Following Muireann"s tragic death, the Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser launched a campaign to ban loop cords, gaining the support of Gordon Banks MP, who attended the FAI on Thursday and Friday.

Mr Banks said, 'I have been pressing the Government to introduce wider compulsory improvements in regulation to ensure that we prevent further deaths from looped blind cords.

'To date I have been disappointed by progress and hope that fresh meetings with officials will move this issue along at a greater pace. The Fatal Accident Inquiry will also provide us with information which can go some way to ensuring that we improve current industry standards.

'The mood was understandably very sombre at the fatal accident inquiry but it did give me the opportunity to speak to Muireann"s family once again and update them on what progress we have been able to make at Westminster. The outcome of the FAI is awaited with great interest but it is such a sad set of circumstances.'

Mr Banks went on, 'Improvements to the General Product Safety Directive are imminent but I do not believe they go far enough. I accept they are a first step along the road but they are by no means the solution.

'I am grateful that the DBERR at Westminster, as a result of my earlier pressure, are taking matters further but it is imperative that progress is made as soon as possible to prevent further tragedies. The proposed new standards do not design the danger out of household items such as blinds and that has got to be the objective.'

During the inquiry Muireann"s gran Beryl Searle said she had been looking after the two-year-old and her older brother and sister but decided to go home after Angus came back from work early.

Just six minutes after leaving the house she got a phone call from Angus saying that Muireann was dead and rushed back to the family"s home.

Angus, who is a senior radiographer, spoke about his desperate attempts to resuscitate Murieann after finding her entangled in the blind cord in her brother"s bedroom before paramedics arrived at the scene and Muireann was taken to Stirling Royal Infirmary where she was pronounced dead.

The FAI also heard from expert witness Dr Gordon Heywood who said that for as little as £1 a child"s life could be saved by simply installing a hook or something similar to keep cords out of the reach of children.

Dr Heywood, who is an expert on product safety, also said that unless there was a concerted effort by government agencies and local authorities to raise public awareness more children would die as a result of accidents involving loop-blind cords.

In a report he compiled for the FAI he found eight cases where a child had died as a result of loop-blind cords and two near deaths in the last decade alone.

Dr Heywood also highlighted campaigns in America, which includes a national window blind safety awareness day, and Australia, where bans in the production of looped-blind cords are already in place, and a public safety information campaign in Canada.

The McLaughlins" solicitor Donald McLeod QC raised the issue of Home Owner Reports, which have recently been introduced in Scotland, and suggested that surveyors could highlight whether there are cords hanging from blind in the property which is being sold.

Graham Patterson, owner of ABC Blinds – the company which fitted the roller blind in the McLaughlin"s home – also gave evidence at the Inquiry.

He told fiscal Jim Graham that following Muireann"s death, his company started using plastic safety clips on blind cords instead of metal clips because he 'didn"t want this to happen ever again'.

He added that in his 20 years in the business he had never come across an accident like this before.

Whilst the metal clips, which was on the blind which Muireann became entangled in, will stop the cord breaking the plastic clips mean the cord will separate relatively easily if pressure is put on it.

Tests carried out by Dr Heywood showed that if the cord had a plastic clip on it Muireann"s weight – 14kg – would have caused the cord to break.

Sheriff David Mackie adjourned the Inquiry until 27 March when he will give his ruling and make recommendations.