PRIME Minister Tony Blair has met the grieving family of a North-East student who died of carbon monoxide poisoning and offered his personal backing to the campaign to stop the silent killer.

In a meeting set up by The Northern Echo, Mr Blair talked to Hugh and Margaret Brennan, whose 19-year-old daughter, Anne, died at her rented student flat in Durham City five years ago.

The talented student, from Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, wanted to become a Labour MP after being inspired to go into politics by Mr Blair.

Her parents joined the Silent Killer campaign, led by Houghton and Washington East MP Fraser Kemp and backed by The Northern Echo, to tighten the law governing carbon monoxide.

The death in Turkey of Oxford graduate Deborah O'Neil after fumes spilled into her apartment from a faulty boiler only days after taking up a teaching post, prompted her Spennymoor family to add their support to the campaign.

Now, in a major victory for the campaign, the Health and Safety Executive has published recommendations to tighten the law which will be put to the Government later this month.

These include raising awareness of carbon monoxide and its effects, making councils responsible for all enforcement of the rules, and a campaign to spread the use of carbon monoxide detectors - although the proposals fall short of the campaign aim of making the installation of alarms compulsory.

Carbon monoxide has been dubbed the silent killer because it cannot be seen or smelled, and at first gives symptoms which can be misdiagnosed as flu.

The toxic fumes account for about 40 deaths a year - many of them young people living in rented accommodation.

Earlier this year, The Northern Echo set up a meeting between the families and Health and Safety Minister Lord Whitty, who promised to pass on their proposals to Mr Blair.

But on the eve of his Tuscan holiday, the Prime Minister invited the Brennans to meet him.

Devastated over their daughter's death, they explained to Mr Blair how they were primarily pressing for legislation to force landlords to display certificates endorsing the safety and regular testing of all gas equipment.

Mr Blair, who supported the move, said he had been appalled at the loss of both Anne Brennan and Deborah O'Neil.

His spokesman added: "He is backing the campaign for action and has already contacted the Minister for Housing, Nick Raynsford, to establish the up-to-date position."

Mr Kemp, however, stressed that, irrespective of the official recommendations, campaigners would continue to press for the mandatory installation of carbon monoxide detectors and the displaying of test certificates in all premises of multiple occupation.

Margaret Brennan said: "We can't bring Anne back, but we can help stop other families going through the nightmare that we have gone through."

Sheila O'Neil, whose family is still struggling to come to terms with its loss, welcomed the discussion document.

She said: "It is an excellent first step which we all hope will lead to a substantial tightening up of the regulations.

Read more about the campaign here.