Carlisle parents back holiday safety campaign

Parents from Carlisle are backing a campaign to promote safer holidays abroad for children after their own girls were injured in an accident in Turkey last July.

Mark Hunter, Kathryn Hunter and Moira Allan will be travelling to the Houses of Parliament with their children on Thursday 19th July to support Eden’s Trust which is being launched by Elli Galvani. Elli’s six year old daughter Eden was killed when a “wall of flame” stunt went out of control during a Turkish theme night at the Gemini complex in the Turkish resort of Altinkum.

Mark, his children Sarah, 14 and Craig, 12 were staying at the Turkish-owned complex with his partner Moira and her daughter Shona, 14. Mark, Sarah, Moira and Shona were themselves hurt by the fire. Sarah’s injuries were particularly serious: she spent weeks in hospital and still undergoes daily treatment. Craig was lucky to escape physical injury.

The aim of Eden’s Trust is to persuade UK travel companies to ensure the holidays they are selling meet EU health and safety standards or an equivalent.

Mark, who had booked the holiday through a holiday club said, “When you book a family holiday you don’t expect to be sending your child home in an air ambulance, but you do expect there to be some accountability if something terrible does happen. It will be a difficult day for us, but we want to give Elli support and to show her we are there. It could have been any one of us.”

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For further information contact Angela Huck at Burnetts Solicitors on 01228 552222.

17th July, 2007