Boy dies from fumes that killed his family

A two-year-old boy died last night from the effects of poisonous fumes from a blocked gas heater which killed his parents and his brother. The family was spending the weekend at their cottage in Muddiford, north Devon.

Jeremy Mason died from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, said a spokesman from Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, Devon.

On Saturday, his father, Michael Mason, 45, of Fulham, south-west London, and his brother, Christopher, four, died in the fume-filled cottage. His mother, Deborah, 30, died at the hospital on Sunday. Neighbours found the family unconscious in the cottage on Saturday. Post-mortem examinations will be held but Devon and Cornwall Police said there were no suspicious circumstances. The flue was blocked at the top and bottom by twigs and moss.