Newark mum of caravan fire victim meets fire minister

Natasha Broadley is campaigning for annual gas checks at caravan parks become a mandatory requirement

A mother whose two-year-old daughter died in a caravan blaze while on a family holiday said she "has hope" after meeting with the fire minister.

Natasha Broadley is campaigning for annual gas checks at caravan parks to become a mandatory requirement.

Louisiana Brooke Dolan died at Sealands Caravan Park in Ingoldmells in 2021.

In a meeting at Westminster, Miss Broadley said fire minister Chris Philp had pledged to support a national campaign on caravan safety.

On the day of the fire, Ms Broadley, from Newark, said she had raised concerns over the boiler with the caravan's owner and someone had been sent to look at it.

The mother managed to escape the caravan with three of her children but, despite her efforts to rescue Louisiana, she was unable to get her daughter out.

"It took seven minutes for my caravan to burn," she said. "I could have had six minutes to get out, not 60 seconds."

Louisiana Brooke Dolan died as a result of smoke inhalation

An inquest into the Louisiana's death in April heard that the gas safety certificate for the boiler in their caravan expired on 23 August, 2021, five months before the fire.

Although the fire started in the caravan's boiler cupboard, investigators were unable to determine the cause.

The coroner ruled the death was an accident and said the boiler could not be specifically blamed despite its service history being out of date.

Ms Broadley met crime, policing and fire minister Chris Philp, the National Caravan Council, and the British Holidays and Home Park Association in London to discuss her petition for a change in the law to make caravan gas safety checks a legal requirement.

Although they are not currently mandatory, the majority of park owners do require them.

The mother said she had "so much hope" after speaking with the officials and added that Mr Philp had promised to support her.

"My daughter needs the justice she deserves," she told the BBC.

Conservative MP for Newark, Robert Jenrick, said: "It is not right that somebody could fail to have a fire alarm that is not working... or a gas safety certificate.

"You should have confidence that it is safe and you won't find yourself in a horrific tragedy like Natasha and her children did."