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Family Shocked Corfu Hotel Electrician Re-Hired

The parents of two children who died in a Greek hotel say they are "appalled" an electrician convicted over their deaths was re-hired by the same premises.

Sharon Wood and Neil Shepherd said they were shocked Christos Louvros was re-employed by the Corfu hotel where Christi and Bobby Shepherd died.

Mr Louvros was found guilty of unlawful killing after the children were poisoned with carbon monoxide in their room.

Reports that Mr Louvros was still working at the Hotel Louis Corcyra Beach emerged in a statement by Thomas Cook CEO Peter Fankhauser.

He said the holiday group had stopped sending guests to the hotel after discovering that Mr Louvros was still employed there.

But Sky News learned that Thomson and First Choice were still sending guests to the hotel, despite the fact the electrician remained employed.

However, a statement by Thomson this morning said: "As soon as we were made aware of this issue by Sky News we contacted the hotel operating company to express how shocked we were to learn that they were still employing someone who was involved in the original tragedy.

"The hotel operating company has confirmed that this is now not the case and the individual is no longer employed at 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."

Sky's Jonathan Samuels, reporting from outside the hotel, said he was prevented from going onto the hotel grounds and that the manager had come out but refused to answer questions.

Samuels added: "I'm told that [the electrician] had worked here for about 20 years.

"In recent years he had been involved in more general maintenance - certainly not involved in any aspects that would have involved health and safety issues."

Electrician Mr Louvros and former hotel manager, George Chrysikopoulos, were convicted of unlawful killing in 2010 after the children died in 2006.

But it has since emerged that Mr Chrysikopoulos took up a similar post at a hotel in Crete that was also regularly used by Thomas Cook.

The company says Mr Chrysikopoulos has since been dismissed from the post, adding that it was not aware of the issue until media reports.

Yesterday, Mr Fankhauser told Sky's Ian King that delaying an apology to the children's parents, Sharon Wood and Neil Shepherd, 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."

Despite the admission, he said he would not be resigning.

Mr Fankhauser's comments came after a meeting in London with the parents , which he described as "intense".

He added that he appreciated the chance to apologise.

After the meeting it emerged that Thomas Cook is to make a "financial gesture of goodwill" to Mrs Wood and Mr Shepherd.

The amount of the payout has not been disclosed.