Call for campaign after smoking fire death

Hull coroners' court heard that Raymond Brattley died in a fire caused by a discarded cigarette

A coroner has raised concerns after a man died in a fire caused by a discarded cigarette.

Raymond Brattley, 71, was killed when a blaze broke out in his home in a sheltered housing complex in Bridlington.

An inquest heard that Mr Brattley died of burns at the scene on 8 January.

Prof Paul Marks, the senior coroner for Hull and East Yorkshire, has written a Prevention of Future Deaths Report calling for a safety campaign to highlight "the risks of careless smoking in vulnerable individuals".

In his report, Prof Marks said that Mr Brattley was a "heavy smoker and that on a number of previous occasions, he set fire to waste paper bins in his flat as well as burning himself, carpets and soft furnishings due to careless smoking".

The coroner said that previous fires were "contained or extinguished" adding that "appropriate action was taken by the staff in respect of this issue".

Fire risk

The inquest heard from a fire investigator who said that "if issues of this nature arise in other organisations or care settings, they should be brought to the attention of the fire service, who would freely provide advice".

Measures that might be taken in care settings included using metal waste bins and fire-retardant materials, the report said.

Prof Marks has written to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) suggesting a campaign to highlight the risks and the advice available from fire services.

The BBC has contacted Rospa for a response.

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