A coroner has found that 14 year old schoolgirl Hannah Thomas Jones died from carbon monoxide poisoning after parents placed a smouldering barbecue inside the tent to keep the family warm during a camping trip last year. Other members of her family were hospitalised for treatment after also succumbing to the effects of the gas, but she had been lying closest to the barbeque.

Her parents wept as they told the hearing how they had taken pains to minimise the risk of a fire, but were unaware of the dangers posed by carbon monoxide.

The family from Cheshire paid tribute to Hannah as a 'beautiful and wonderful' person, and had been at the campsite with several members of her family where they were watching the FA Cup Final in a pub.

When she awoke the next morning, Mrs Jones' arms and legs felt sore and she could not talk.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said efforts had been made to highlight the dangers posed by carbon monoxide from barbecues in the wake of several deaths in similar circumstances. They told the court many people did not realise that 'incomplete combustion' after flames had died down could result in the emission of carbon monoxide, which is odourless.

Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning - including headaches or dizziness - can easily be confused with food poisoning, viral infections, flu or simply tiredness.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner John Ellery told members of Hannah's family: 'It's quite clear that you and many, many people were unaware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

'The risk you were addressing when you brought that barbecue in, in its dying embers, was against fire.

Mr Ellery said he hoped the case would help educate the public about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

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