Ex-Thomas Cook boss confirms bonus donation over Corfu deaths

Christianne Shepherd, seven, and her brother Robert, six, died from carbon monoxide poisoning while on holiday in Corfu in 2006

The former boss of Thomas Cook will give a third of her £5.7m bonus, £1.9m, to a charity chosen by the parents of two children who died while on holiday.

Harriet Green had previously said she would make a donation, but had yet to be told the amount of her bonus.

The company has been criticised for its treatment of the family of Christi and Bobby Shepherd, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in Corfu in 2006.

An inquest ruled the pair were unlawfully killed.

The children, from Horbury, near Wakefield, were on holiday with their father, Neil Shepherd and his now wife, Ruth, when they were poisoned by a faulty gas boiler at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel.

'Saving jobs'

Ms Green was awarded 4.1 million shares in Thomas Cook, the bottom end of the range to which she is entitled, for meeting financial targets during her two-and-a-half years as the group's chief executive.

Ms Green explained why she had been given the bonus: "Today's award... is in recognition of the work we did together as a team to save the company and put it on a firm foundation for the future, saving the jobs of over 25,000 people, adding £2bn of shareholder value to the business and raising standards for customers.

"I am particularly pleased to be able to honour my commitment to give a third of my bonus to charitable causes and am grateful for the support of the parents of Christi and Bobby Shepherd in agreeing these causes."

Thomas Cook said in a statement that it was positive about Ms Green's move.

It said it would include a substantial donation to a carbon monoxide charity, which is working with Thomas Cook to fund research into protection from carbon monoxide and raise general awareness of the related dangers.

It added that the parents of Christi and Bobby Shepherd expressed their satisfaction with this.

Harriet Green led Thomas Cook until last year

Faulty boiler

In 2010 three people, including the manager of the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel and two members of staff, were found guilty of manslaughter by negligence and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Eight other people were cleared, including two Thomas Cook travel reps.

The inquest heard the faulty boiler had been housed in an outbuilding attached to the side of the bungalow where the family had been staying.

The children's mother, Sharon Wood, and their father, Mr Shepherd, had previously criticised the tour firm for not apologising to them directly during the two-week hearing in Wakefield earlier this month.

After the inquest, the company's chief executive, Peter Fankhauser, said it had not handled its relationship with the family well.

He said: "During the past nine years, we failed to show the compassion that we should have shown to the family."

Last week, the firm revealed it had donated £1.5m to the children's charity Unicef. The money was the remainder after legal costs of a £3m damages settlement from the Greek hotel.