Children poisoned by indoor barbecue

FOUR young children were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after their grandmother brought a barbecue indoors to dry her washing.

The woman, who has not been named, lit the device which she set up in the family kitchen before ­leaving the house.

Her three-year-old granddaughter collapsed when she was overcome by the deadly gas later that afternoon and was treated in hospital with five of her ­relatives.

They included two boys aged two and ten months, a four-year-old girl and the woman’s two daughters-in-law, aged 26 and 29.

Firefighters were called to the home on Hockley Avenue in East Ham, east London, last week, soon after the grandmother set up her makeshift launderette.

A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said the woman carried the barbecue in from her garden at around 3pm and placed it near the back door to speed up the drying of clothes which she hung out around the kitchen. She then walked out, leaving her daughters-in-law in the house with her grandchildren, two of whom were asleep upstairs.

One adult began to feel unwell before the little girl collapsed. All six have now been discharged from ­hospital.

Fire chiefs branded the grandmother’s behaviour dangerous and campaigners warned of the hazards of bringing barbecues ­indoors.

Dave Brown, of London Fire Brigade, said: “In my 28-year career I have never heard of anybody using a barbecue to dry clothes let alone using one indoors.

“Never ever bring a lit or smouldering barbecue indoors. Not only is it a ­serious fire risk but it also emits carbon monoxide which is a poisonous gas that can kill or seriously ­injure.”

Christine McGourty, of the Carbon Monoxide – Be Alarmed! campaign, said: “Using a barbecue indoors is always dangerous, but carbon monoxide poisoning is usually caused by faulty or poorly maintained fuel appliances, such as boilers.”