Sisters campaign for carbon monoxide alarm in cars
Michael Barnard, 36, from Barrow, was found dead in August 2023 after he had been listening to music with the engine running and the gas had leaked from a hole in the exhaust.
Lucy and Rebecca Barnard are trying to raise awareness of what they call the "silent killer".
Lucy Barnard said losing her brother was "one of the hardest things" she had faced.
More than 500 people have signed a petition set up by the sisters to alert people to the dangers of the gas, which kills about 60 people in the UK every year.
Miss Barnard said: "When my brother went for a drive that night he didn't know his car would take his life and he died alone and that is something as a family we will never be able to come to terms with.
"In the UK cars are not legally required to carry carbon monoxide detectors and I want to change that."
Carbon monoxide has no smell or colour and can cause serious illness, or death, if inhaled.
Car exhausts are checked for the level of carbon monoxide emissions during an MOT.
President of the charity CO-Gas Safety, Stephanie Trotter, has called for it to be a legal requirement for exhausts to be checked for leaks at the same time.
Lucy Barnard said, in the four months prior to her brother's death, he had driven 10,000 miles.
"The grief I have carried with me since the morning of 17 August is something I never want anyone to have to endure," she said.
"My brother was driving his car for weeks upon weeks unbeknown to him that his body was slowly being poisoned with a very deadly silent killer."
Rebecca Barnard said, when she received the news her brother had died, she was eight months pregnant.
"It hit me very hard and I struggled," she said.
"My brother didn't get the opportunity to become a dad or have a family and that's something he really wanted in life."
"Even if this campaign saves one life we would be happy," her sister added.
Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Nine ill from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning
Call for carbon monoxide advice after son's death
Nurses save patients from carbon monoxide leak
The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
At least 63 arrests at Palestine Action ban protests
Dozens of people have been arrested at protests across the UK against the decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terror group. Arrests have been reported in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol and Truro, all places where demonstrations in support of the pro-Palestine action group took place on Saturday. The Met Police said 55 people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences in Westminster for displaying placards in support of Palestine Action. Eight were arrested in Truro in Cornwall. The government proscribed the group earlier this month under the Terrorism Act of 2000, making membership of or support for the group a criminal offence, following a break-in at an RAF base. Across the country, protesters held placards with the words: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action." In London, arrests were made near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, where as many as 20 police vans attended. Officers moved in swiftly to arrest those holding the placards, many of whom appeared to be over the age of 60. One woman claimed to be in her 80s and was walking with a stick. Some were led away while others had to be carried. Devon and Cornwall Police said two men and six women were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after protesters gathered near Truro Cathedral. The force said around 30 people were involved in the peaceful demonstration, organised by campaign group Defend Our Juries. Earlier, the campaign group said that one of those arrested near the cathedral was an 81-year-old former magistrate. It also said 16 people were arrested in Manchester. Police forces in the other locations where protests took place have not yet confirmed the number of arrests they made. Saturday's protests came ahead of a High Court hearing on Monday at which the co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, will ask for permission to challenge the decision to ban the group. Last Saturday, 71 arrests were made across the UK at similar protests against the decision. Palestine Action has engaged in activities that have predominantly targeted arms companies since the start of the current war in Gaza. MPs voted to proscribe the group after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in June, spraying two Voyager aircraft with red paint and causing £7m worth of damage. Palestine Action took responsibility for the incident at the time. Four people have since been remanded in custody, charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK. The incident also prompted a security review across all UK military bases.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Arrests as immigration raids target workers
More than 20 people have been arrested after immigration raids across the West Midlands. Delivery drivers suspected of working illegally were targeted by officers in Birmingham, Coventry and Hereford, the Home Office said. Images showed enforcement agents apprehending two men at New Street railway station on Wednesday, as people were stopped for allegedly using modified e-bikes. It comes amid a crackdown on undocumented workers operating in the so-called gig economy, as well as places like car washes, construction sites and nail bars. The two-day operation saw 21 foreign nationals taken into custody for a range of immigration offences, the government added. They included people from Eritrea, Guinea, Italy, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh. All of them now face being deported from the UK. Matthew Foster, who leads on immigration in the West Midlands, said illegal working was undercutting legitimate businesses and allowing vulnerable people to be exploited. "Those who choose to break the law by working illegally or employing illegal workers should expect to be caught and face the consequences," he said. The enforcement activity comes after ministers promised to get tough on illegal migration to "protect UK borders". Plans have included a focus on food delivery companies such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat to prevent illegal working. In June, the companies agreed to strengthen security checks following reports some asylum seekers were working illegally as couriers. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story Food delivery apps to tighten checks to stop illegal workers Illegal worker arrests in Midlands up by third Arrests during factory immigration raids Related internet links Home Office
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dozens of Palestine Action protesters arrested across UK
Dozens of people have been arrested around the UK at protests in support of proscribed group Palestine Action. Demonstrations were held in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and Truro on Saturday as part of a campaign coordinated by Defend Our Juries. Protesters wrote the message 'I oppose genocide I support Palestine Action' on placards before being surrounded by police officers at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, London. Officers confiscated the placards and searched the bags of those arrested, with some protesters being carried away by police while others were led away in handcuffs. The Metropolitan Police said 55 people were arrested in Parliament Square under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for displaying placards in support of Palestine Action. Eight people were arrested near Truro Cathedral in Cornwall after protesters gathered to show support for Palestine Action. Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement that around 30 protesters were involved in the 'peaceful' Defend Our Juries demonstration. The force went on: 'A number of placards which were contrary to the law remained on display despite police advice. 'Eight people, two men and six women, were arrested on suspicion of offences under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000. They remain in police custody.' A woman who was detained by police in Parliament Square said: 'We demand that Palestine Action is de-proscribed. 'Our government is not only arming a genocide, they are using terrorism laws to silence people who speak out. 'Palestine Action are campaigning for peace. They are dismantling weapons factories.' As he was carried away by police, a protester in London said: 'Freedom of speech is dead in this country, shame on the Metropolitan Police.' A small number of counter-protesters in Parliament Square held up placards which said 'there is no genocide but there are 50 hostages still captive'. It comes ahead of a High Court hearing on Monday in which the co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, will ask for the green light to challenge the Home Secretary's decision to ban the group under anti-terror laws. The ban means that membership of, or support for, the direct action group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000. The Metropolitan Police said 70 people were arrested at similar demonstrations in Parliament Square over the past two weekends. The move to ban the organisation came after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an incident claimed by Palestine Action, which police said caused about £7 million worth of damage. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action three days later, saying that the vandalism of the planes was 'disgraceful' and the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'.
