A HARD-hitting campaign will warn university and college students of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The campaign, by British Gas, urges students to demand their landlord shows them a gas safety record - the certificate required by law showing that all gas appliances in their home are safe.

Research shows that two thirds of students living in rented digs in the North-East have not seen safety records.

Only one in four of students surveyed also have a potentially lifesaving carbon monoxide detector.

Carbon monoxide is an invisible, highly poisonous gas with no taste or smell, that can be emitted from poorly maintained, blocked gas appliances.

Poisoning from carbon monoxide kills up to 30 people each year and ten years ago claimed the life of Anne Brennan, from Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside.

Anne, a student at Durham University, died aged 19 after she collapsed from carbon monoxide fumes she breathed in at the house she rented in the city. Her death prompted The Northern Echo to launch its Silent Killer campaign, with the aim of cutting the number of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning.

British Gas has now commissioned beermats shaped like a tombstone that carry the chilling epitaph of a fictional character who died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The character is said to have failed to "nag" their landlord about their gas safety record and to take sufficient safety precautions.

The beermats have been distributed to student union bars, including those at Durham and Teesside universities.

Chris Bielby, head of safety at British Gas, said: "Landlords without a gas safety record are breaking the law - it's as simple as that.

"With this campaign and by bringing these important messages into the bars, we're hoping students will begin to take note and start nagging their landlords.

"Not taking notice could cost them their life. It's certainly a sobering thought."

* Warning signs to look out for on a gas appliance are stains, soot or discolouring around a gas fire, water heater or boiler; an appliance that burns with a yellow or orange flame instead of a blue one; a strange smell when the appliance is on and increased condensation inside windows.

Symptoms of CO poisoning include recurring headaches, nausea, sickness, chest and/or stomach pain and general tiredness and fatigue.

Read more about the Silent Killer campaign here.