Keen to increase awareness of the dangers of leaky gas appliances, the charity CO-Gas Safety began a competition aimed at school children to highlight the issue.
Former Kirton Primary School student Daniel Ely, 12, who now attends Thomas Cowley School in Donington, designed a poster last summer and was named overall winner of the national competition recently.
His poster used an image of a tent positioned beside a barbecue to demonstrate the potential deadly effects of carbon monoxide, a gas which can leak from faulty or elderly gas appliances.
The gas is odourless and colourless, which makes it more dangerous as people are not aware that they are breathing it in – often until it is too late. The gas is responsible for killing around 50 people each year and causing injuries to over 200 more.
Daniel, from Gosberton, told the Boston Standard: “I saw on the news that some people had died from breathing in carbon monoxide after having a barbecue near their tent, so I wanted to design my poster to make people aware of the dangers."
“I’m very excited I won and it was great going to the House of Lords as it was my first time on a train and going to London!” he said.
The CO-Gas Safety charity works to prevent deaths and other injuries caused by CO poisoning and other gases. It also supports victims of gas poisoning and their families. The charity confirmed that, over the last 18 years, there have been 653 deaths and 4653 injuries as a result of carbon monoxide.
Stephanie Trotter, president of CO-Gas Safety, told the publication: “Choosing our winners was a very hard decision as the standard of entries was so high, but Daniel’s design really stood out for its creativity.”