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| Corfu gas deaths: Thomas Cook had 'significant' safety shortcomings | Corfu gas deaths: Thomas Cook had 'significant' safety shortcomings |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Travel firm Thomas Cook has been accused of "significant" health and safety shortcomings, following the deaths of two children poisoned by carbon monoxide. | Travel firm Thomas Cook has been accused of "significant" health and safety shortcomings, following the deaths of two children poisoned by carbon monoxide. |
| Bobby and Christi Shepherd, aged six and seven, died at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel, in Corfu, in October 2006. | Bobby and Christi Shepherd, aged six and seven, died at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel, in Corfu, in October 2006. |
| An independent review also said parts of the business protected costs ahead of customer experience. | |
| Thomas Cook said the report made for "uncomfortable reading in parts". | Thomas Cook said the report made for "uncomfortable reading in parts". |
| The review into the firm's customer health and safety procedures and crisis management was carried out by former Sainsbury's chief Justin King. | The review into the firm's customer health and safety procedures and crisis management was carried out by former Sainsbury's chief Justin King. |
| It did not re-examine the events of the children's deaths. | It did not re-examine the events of the children's deaths. |
| Updates from this story and more from West Yorkshire | Updates from this story and more from West Yorkshire |
| He said "significant shortcomings" in the implementation of the travel company's health and safety strategy had been identified. | He said "significant shortcomings" in the implementation of the travel company's health and safety strategy had been identified. |
| Mr King said: "Decisions were often not taken in the thoughtful and caring way you would expect from a company such as Thomas Cook." | Mr King said: "Decisions were often not taken in the thoughtful and caring way you would expect from a company such as Thomas Cook." |
| In particular, he said parts of the company such as the airline and Destination Management had a tendency "to protect cost rather than maximise the customer experience". | |
| Kamal Ahmed, BBC Business editor's blog: Thomas Cook - failure to put a grieving family first | |
| Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of Thomas Cook, said: "It took us nine years to correct the mistakes of the past and to do what everyone would have expected of us; treat the family with the respect and empathy they deserve. | Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of Thomas Cook, said: "It took us nine years to correct the mistakes of the past and to do what everyone would have expected of us; treat the family with the respect and empathy they deserve. |
| "We had to learn from this tragedy and do things differently, and this remains our commitment." | "We had to learn from this tragedy and do things differently, and this remains our commitment." |
| He said he the review would "serve as a catalyst" for the changes the company was making. | |
| An inquest into the children's deaths earlier this year found the tour operator had "breached its duty of care", and that the children, from Horbury near Wakefield, had been unlawfully killed. | An inquest into the children's deaths earlier this year found the tour operator had "breached its duty of care", and that the children, from Horbury near Wakefield, had been unlawfully killed. |
| Mr King's review said, including Bobby and Christi, there had been five recorded package tour deaths attributed to carbon monoxide in the UK travel industry since 1988. | Mr King's review said, including Bobby and Christi, there had been five recorded package tour deaths attributed to carbon monoxide in the UK travel industry since 1988. |
| Thomas Cook's contact with the family following the deaths was also criticised. | Thomas Cook's contact with the family following the deaths was also criticised. |
| The approaches were "intermittent, sometimes ill-timed and often ill-judged", said the report. | The approaches were "intermittent, sometimes ill-timed and often ill-judged", said the report. |
| Sometimes the family's approaches to the company got no response at all, it said. | Sometimes the family's approaches to the company got no response at all, it said. |
| The report made a series of recommendations including: | The report made a series of recommendations including: |
| Thomas Cook said it would work through the report's recommendations with a view to implementing them over the next 18 months. | Thomas Cook said it would work through the report's recommendations with a view to implementing them over the next 18 months. |
| Sharon Wood and Neil Shepherd, Christi and Bobby's parents, welcomed the report and said: "It is a move in the right direction and the next step in what has been a long, hard fight for justice. | |
| "Our hope is that we can bring about change that will dramatically reduce the number of deaths and injuries from carbon monoxide, both in the UK and abroad." | |
| Mary Creagh, the Labour MP for Wakefield said the report was a "damning assessment of Thomas Cook's treatment of Christi and Bobby's parents in the nine years since their tragic deaths". |