Check your chimney is a message from police in West Kent following confirmation from the results of a post mortem carried out on Monday 30 October that the death of two elderly women at their home in Tunbridge Wells was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Police were called to the address in Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells on Thursday 26 October after a resident reported that she had not seen her elderly neighbours for a day and was concerned for their welfare. After gaining access to the house police discovered the bodies of 98 year old Florence Holeman and her 61 year old daughter Marion Stillwell who had not been seen since Tuesday 24 October.
Det Sgt Andrea Richards said: ‘We were able to determine that the circumstances of these tragic deaths was not suspicious. Our inquiry into the incident has established that the carbon monoxide poisoning appears to have come about because of build up of soot and fly-ash debris in the chimney and no ventilation in the room serving the heating appliance.’
It seems that the debris build-up was a through a combination of inadequate maintenance on the throat plate/damper plate of the solid fuel room heater (a back boiler model) and lack of chimney sweeping. According to manufacturers’ instructions damper plates should be normally be cleaned every four weeks and the advice of the National Association of Chimney Sweeps is that chimneys should be at least once a year.
Martin Glynn, President of the National Association of Chimney Sweeps said: ‘It is mind-boggling to think that just one shovel of soot not being moved can mean that people die.
People don’t always realise that any fossil fuel can cause carbon monoxide poisoning that’s why it’s really important to understand what maintenance your system needs and make sure you follow the instructions carefully. If you’re not sure what to do then contact the manufacturer, Solid Fuel Advisory Service or National Association of Chimney Sweeps.’
He continued: ‘Chimneys should be swept every year by a member of the National Association of Chimney Sweeps who can be contacted on a free-phone number 0800 833 464 who will also issue an appropriate certification of chimney sweeping.’
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