Thomas Cook's ex-boss tried to silence me over Corfu deaths: MP for family of children killed by gas poisoning claims boss tried to use solicitor to discourage her from raising the issue in parliament

  • Bobby Shepherd and sister Christi died from carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Caused by faulty boiler on a Thomas Cook holiday in Corfu in 2006
  • MP accuses ex Thomas Cook boss Harriet Green of trying to silence her
  • Spokeswoman for Ms Green said it's 'a misrepresentation to suggest the letter tried to silence this MP'

A leading Labour MP has accused the controversial former boss of Thomas Cook of trying to silence her in the row over the deaths of two children in a Corfu hotel.

Mary Creagh, MP for the family of the two youngsters killed by gas poisoning, claimed Harriet Green tried to use a solicitor’s letter to discourage her from raising the issue in Parliament. 

The claim comes just before a Commons debate this week during which Shadow Cabinet Minister Ms Creagh will demand new safety standards to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.

Mary Creagh, MP for the family of the two youngsters killed by gas poisoning, claimed Harriet Green tried to silence her

Mary Creagh, MP for the family of the two youngsters killed by gas poisoning, claimed Harriet Green tried to silence her

Last night, a spokeswoman for Ms Green denied the claim, saying: ‘It is a misrepresentation to suggest the letter tried to silence this MP'

Last night, a spokeswoman for Ms Green denied the claim, saying: ‘It is a misrepresentation to suggest the letter tried to silence this MP'

Six-year-old Bobby Shepherd and his sister Christi, seven, died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a faulty boiler while on a Thomas Cook holiday on the Greek island in 2006.

The travel firm sparked outrage earlier this year when The Mail on Sunday revealed that it had obtained a £3.5 million payout from the hotel’s owner – almost nine times the £350,000 compensation given to each of the children’s parents.

The MoS has also revealed how City ‘superwoman’ Ms Green was in line for a multi-million-pound pay-off from Thomas Cook despite being accused of behaving ‘shamefully’ towards the parents and having refused to meet them.

Last night, Wakefield MP Ms Creagh said Ms Green’s solicitors sent her a letter two months ago just as the MP prepared to publish a Commons motion critical of her and Thomas Cook. 

The letter, from solicitors Withers and emailed at 4.57am on May 28, began: ‘We act for Harriet Green. We note that you intend to submit an Early Day Motion for debate in the House of Commons.’

It stressed it was ‘in no way seeking to interfere with Parliamentary debate’ but was trying to give the MP the ‘relevant facts’.

But Ms Creagh said: ‘This letter was clearly designed to silence me and to have a chilling effect on me speaking out about the behaviour of Thomas Cook. They may claim it was only intended to clarify and put me in full possession of the facts as Harriet Green saw them. But sending an MP a solicitor’s letter at 5am is hardly the way to do that.’

Last night, a spokeswoman for Ms Green denied the claim, saying: ‘It is a misrepresentation to suggest the letter tried to silence this MP who is, and always has been, free to choose to be factual or not. Anyone who reads the letter will see that it does not seek to do what she claims.’

The MoS has also revealed how  Ms Green was in line for a multi-million-pound pay-off from Thomas Cook

The MoS has also revealed how  Ms Green was in line for a multi-million-pound pay-off from Thomas Cook

The travel firm sparked outrage earlier this year when The Mail on Sunday revealed that it had obtained a £3.5 million payout from the hotel’s owner

The travel firm sparked outrage earlier this year when The Mail on Sunday revealed that it had obtained a £3.5 million payout from the hotel’s owner

In a statement, she added: ‘Harriet fully supports public debate on the serious issue of carbon monoxide, which is why she has donated a significant amount of her own money to help this crucial cause, despite not having joined Thomas Cook until six years after the tragedy took place.’

Ms Green, who left the firm last November, has also insisted that she did not refuse to meet the children’s parents, Sharon Wood and Neil Shepherd. She has agreed to donate a third of a controversial £5.6 million bonus she received to charities agreed by the parents.

At one point she had been in line to receive almost £11 million.

Ironically, her lawyer’s letter arrived after the formal tabling of Ms Creagh’s Commons motion which concluded that ‘the actions of Thomas Cook since the children’s deaths have added to their parents’ grief’.

Last night, Ms Creagh said: ‘I won’t withdraw my view that Thomas Cook’s behaviour over this terrible family tragedy was shameful.’

The MP will also accuse the UK Government of blocking EU-wide moves to improve carbon monoxide safety in hotels and holiday homes.

It emerged last week that ex-Sainsbury’s boss Justin King had been drafted in by Thomas Cook to investigate its handling of the tragedy.

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