Inquiry to be held into teenager's carbon monoxide death

A fatal accident inquiry will be held into a teenager's death from carbon monoxide poisoning at an Angus holiday cottage in 2015.

Thomas Hill, 18, was found unconscious at Glenmark Cottage, near Tarfside, where faulty gas heaters were found.

A preliminary hearing will call at Forfar Sheriff Court in March.

Burghill Farms and Piers Le Cheminant, who ran the cottage, previously admitted to exposing holidaymakers to the risk of death.

Burghill Farms was fined £120,000 and Le Cheminant, 76, was fined £2,000 at Dundee Sheriff Court last October.

Mr Hill was on holiday at the remote cottage with his partner Charlotte Beard and her family at the time of his death.

The court was told Mr Hill had gone to take a bath in the cottage on the afternoon of 28 October, 2015.

Ms Beard went to check on him after an hour, but found the bathroom door was locked.

Entry to the room was forced and Mr Hill was found sitting, resting against the door.

A smell of was gas coming from the heater in the room, which was also making a buzzing sound.

The court heard "extensive efforts" were made to revive Mr Hill by various people, including the Beard family, estate workers, and ambulance personnel.

However, Mr Hill was pronounced dead in an ambulance en route to Dundee's Ninewells Hospital.

His cause of death was later confirmed as carbon monoxide poisoning.

A subsequent investigation revealed that there had been cracks in the heater and it was found to be producing carbon monoxide greatly in excess of safe levels.

The fatal accident inquiry is expected to take place later this year.