Rhianna family call for change in law

Published by Jane Clee for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Communities, Local Government

The family of 10-month-old Somerset girl Rhianna Hardie have called for a change in the law to prevent further deaths caused by faulty thermostats.

Rhianna's parents Matthew Hardie and Charlene Haworth stood by their solicitor Jason Squire as he read a statement on the steps of Taunton Shire Hall.

The statement said Rhianna's death was "completely avoidable".

Mr Squire read: "Rhianna was our beautiful little girl.

"She was only 10-months-old when she was taken away from us. Never a day goes by when we do not think of her. We will never forget her.

"The inquest has shown how the council relied upon its tenants to tell them when thermostats failed - without saying what we should look for or what to do.

"The expert evidence was that this was a totally foreseeable tragedy, as the Coroner said 'this was an accident waiting to happen.'"

It went on: "Public funding or legal aid wasn't available to us for this inquest. Thousands of pounds of public money has been spent on many lawyers protecting the council's position which should have been spent improving the safety of council housing.

"We're disappointed that we believe the inquest has shown Rhianna's death was completely avoidable; however, the importance now is that steps are taken to prevent a similar tragedy ever happening again.

"Indeed, we repeat the Coroner's call for a change in the law requiring old electric thermostats in domestic hot water systems to be replaced with 'fail safe' devices."