SAFETY experts and the mum of a Huddersfield boy who died in a gassing tragedy were today urging MPs to toughen up the gas safety laws.

Stacey Rodgers - whose 10-year-old son, Dominic, died when carbon monoxide (CO) seeped into the bedroom of his Fartown home from a neighbour's faulty boiler in February, 2004 - will be giving evidence before a Parliamentary inquiry at the Commons.

Stacey is backing a call by British Gas to toughen the laws so all rented properties in the UK are fitted with a CO detector with an audible alarm.

Also, anyone selling a home should provide proof to the buyer that all gas appliances have been serviced in the last 12 months and that they have a CO detector with an audible alarm.

These tough laws already exit in 10 US states and safety experts see no reason why they should not be introduced here.

The all-party Parliamentary inquiry into carbon monoxide safety in British homes is chaired by Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman.

All landlords in the UK are required to show tenants a Landlord's Gas Safety Record each year, to prove the appliances in the home have been checked for safety in the past 12 months.

But British Gas experts at today's inquiry will say it is `crazy' that anyone selling a house does not have to provide a similar gas safety record.

And that view is echoed by 28-year- old Stacey from Deighton. She said: "The simple fact is that if we had had a CO detector Dominic would still be alive.

"It can happen to anyone at any time. It's time the law was changed to stop it happening to anyone else.

"I'll be telling the MPs about what happened to Dominic and how things could have been so different if the law had been tougher."

Chris Bielby, head of safety at British Gas, said: "About one in seven homes changes hands each year.

"The proposed tougher law is an easy way to make thousands of homes safer every year.

"It's something we want to see happen as soon as possible.

"The figures show that about 30 people die from CO poisoning in their own home every year and hundreds more are injured.

"Although the figures are falling year on year one death is still one too many."

He added: "The facts from America show that tougher laws work.

"That's what is needed here as well.

"It's astonishing that someone can sell a house in this country and have no obligation to make sure the appliances in it are safe.

"If they were renting it they'd have to comply with the law and get the appliances checked.

"But because they're selling it, there are no obligations at all.

"That's just crazy."

The Examiner had a campaign called Silent Killer to stress the need for audible carbon monoxide alarms following two tragedies in Huddersfield - Dominic's and the deaths of Lockwood couple Kam Shing Lam and his wife, Hisu Ying Lam, in their flat above their Chinese takeaway on Woodhead Road in March last year.

We gave away 1,000 detectors as a part of a safety campaign which led to British Gas slashing the prices of detectors from £38 to £22.99.

One of them then saved the lives of Newsome couple John and Glenys Beardsell in March this year.

The Examiner and British Gas then gave away a further 100 detectors.

* Anyone who wants to buy a carbon monoxide detector from British Gas should phone 0116 250 3128.

They cost £22.99, which includes postage.