Man convicted over Corfu child deaths worked at new hotel

The boss of Thomas Cook has said he is "grateful" the family of two young children killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in Corfu agreed to meet him.

Christi and Bobby Shepherd died at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel on the Greek island in 2006 while on a Thomas Cook holiday.

Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of the travel firm, has admitted the company failed in its handling of the tragedy and pledged to help the children's parents move on with their lives.

He made the comment as he arrived for a private meeting with the family in central London today.

The boss of Thomas Cook will meet the family of two young children killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in Corfu later today.

Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of the travel company, has admitted the company failed in its handling of the tragedy and pledged to help the children's parents move on with their lives.

Christi and Bobby Shepherd died at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel on the Greek island in 2006 while on a Thomas Cook holiday.

Fankhauser issued a public apology to the children's parents as the firm seeks to halt a mounting crisis over its reputation following the way it has treated the family since the incident.

The boss of Thomas Cook has said he will not appeal an inquest ruling which found his firm "breached its duty of care" over the deaths of two children.

Christi and Bobby Shepherd died from carbon monoxide poisoning while on a Thomas Cook holiday in 2006.

The tour operator's chief executive Peter Fankhauser told ITV News Business Editor Joel Hills he now accepts the inquest findings.

He admitted the company had "made many mistakes over the years" and said it was only when he was confronted with the Shepherd family's grief that he personally wrote them an apology.

And despite the hostile headlines and a drop in share prices, Fankhauser claims the 150-year-old company is still doing well.

Read more: Thomas Cook boss 'deeply sorry' over children's deaths

The former managing director of Thomas Cook has criticised the company's handling of the deaths of two children in a hotel in Corfu.

John McEwan said the company "should have spent a great deal more time thinking about how they engage with the family" of Bobby and Christi Shepherd who were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning while on holiday in Corfu in 2006.

"Their first priority should have always have been the health and wealth of the family through the circumstances they were going through," he told ITV News.

The family of two young children who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while on holiday in Corfu have said they were not consulted by Thomas Cook about the firm's £1.5 million donation to Unicef.

Wakefield Labour MP Mary Creagh, who has been supporting the family, said she has spoken to the children's parents, Neil Shepherd and Sharon Wood, and they believe this latest move is all about the firm and not them.

Ms Creagh said: "Their feeling is that this once more is not about them, it's about Thomas Cook.

"Thomas Cook have not contacted them about this."

Ms Creagh said the family have a particular children's charity they have been supporting and to which relatives and friends have been donating in Bobby and Christi's memory.

Thomas Cook says it has donated to charity a £1.5 million compensation payout it received following the deaths of two British children in Corfu.

The holiday firm was widely criticised when it emerged that it had received the sum after Bobby and Christi Shepherd were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning while on holiday in Corfu in 2006.

In a statement, Thomas Cook's chief executive sought to deny accusations his firm had profited in any way from their deaths.

Peter Fankhauser said: "Thomas Cook has not in any way profited from our claim against the hotel owner. In late 2012, we brought a claim against the hotelier for breaching their contract to provide safe accommodation to our customers and to comply with all applicable laws which was decided in our favour.

"Today I have made arrangements for the full amount - £1.5 million - to be donated in full to Unicef, the world's leading children's organisation.

"I believe this is the right thing to do and I apologise to the family for all they have gone through."

In a statement to ITV News, a spokesperson for Thomas Cook confirmed that the firm's chief executive sent a letter to the parents of two children who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in Corfu.

Neil Shepherd and Sharon Wood claim they were only shown the letter by reporters.

The spokesperson for the holiday company refused to share any further details about the letter.

The local MP for the parents whose two children who were killed while on holiday in Corfu has rounded on the company for not addressing safety issues.

Mary Creagh, a Labour leadership contender, who was with the family during the inquest this week, said Neil Shepherd and Sharon Wood were upset as the correspondence from Thomas Cook stopped short of apologising.

"It does not address the central issue that their safety management procedures and policies failed, and for that they have not apologised," Ms Creagh said.

"That is what the inquest in Wakefield found this week, and they have singularly failed to apologise for that."