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Corfu Deaths Bungalow To Be Demolished

Corfu Deaths Bungalow To Be Demolished

The hotel bungalow where two children died of carbon monixide poisoning during a holiday in 2006 will be demolished later this year.

Maria Pittordis, a lawyer for the group that owns the Hotel Louis Corcyra Beach, said the bungalow where Christi and Bobby Shepherd died will be knocked down at the end of the summer season.

The children's parents Sharon Wood and Neil Shepherd had asked for the site to be destroyed and turned into a playground.

Ms Pittordis said: "I can confirm that now that all proceedings including the inquest are over my clients have decided to demolish the bungalow.

"This will be done after the hotel operations have ended for the season."

It comes after Thomas Cook apologised to Mrs Wood and Mr Shepherd earlier this week and made a "financial gesture of goodwill" to the family.

Mrs Wood and Mr Shepherd also expressed their shock that an electrician who was found guilty of unlawful killing over the children's deaths was re-hired by the hotel.

A family statement read: "The family are shocked that one of the employees who was convicted of killing their children was still employed by the Louis Group and, appalled he was still working at the very hotel where Christi and Bobby died.

"After everything that has happened, this is yet another sign of the Louis Group failing to respect the family and the memory of Christi and Bobby.

"We ask again that the Louis Group demolish bungalow 112 and build a playground in its place, in memory of Christi and Bobby and we believe that this is the least they can do."

Thomas Cook CEO Peter Fankhauser told Sky News this week that delaying an apology to the children's parents was "my biggest mistake" .

"We should have done that honestly during the last nine years, and I should have done that when I took over in November 2014," he said.

"That was my biggest mistake - that I was not trying to get in contact with the family."

Bobby and Christi were on holiday with Mr Shepherd and his partner Ruth, now his wife, at the time they died in October 2006.

The couple were found in a coma but survived.

An inquest jury found earlier this month that Thomas Cook had "breached their duty of care" over the children's deaths.