Corfu gas deaths family meet Thomas Cook boss

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

The family of two children who died while on holiday in Corfu have met the chief executive of Thomas Cook.

Christi and Bobby Shepherd were poisoned by carbon monoxide at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel in 2006.

Peter Fankhauser spoke privately with the children's parents Neil Shepherd and Sharon Wood earlier and said he was "grateful" the family met him.

Mr Shepherd and Mrs Wood have previously criticised the firm for not apologising to them directly.

Mr Fankhauser made a public apology on Wednesday and admitted the firm "could have done better in the past nine years" in the way they had responded to the tragedy.

The family are expected to comment on the meeting later.

Unlawfully killed

Christi and Bobby Shepherd, from Horbury, near Wakefield, were on holiday with their father, Neil Shepherd and his now wife, Ruth, when they died.

All four were found by a chambermaid in a bungalow at the hotel.

Their father and stepmother had also become ill and were in a coma when they were found but recovered in hospital.

An inquest jury ruled last week the children, aged seven and six, had been unlawfully killed and said Thomas Cook "breached its duty of care".

A criminal trial was held in Greece in 2010 following a long campaign by the children's family.

Neil Shepherd and Sharon Wood have previously been highly critical of Thomas Cook

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 jail.

Thomas Cook was cleared of responsibility and was awarded damages against the hotel's owner.

On Monday, the company revealed its insurers had taken half the £3m payout for legal costs and it had donated the remainder to the children's charity Unicef.