Baby scalding death 'avoidable'

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Coroner Michael Rose, sitting in Taunton, went on to urge anyone with a boiler with an outmoded thermostat to check their heating system for a potentially fatal fault.

Mr Rose told the inquest: "If this incident gets the publicity that it appears to be receiving, virtually every householder in the UK should look at their thermostat and if it doesn't comply with current British standards, replace it as a matter of urgency.

"Rhianna had a short and I hope very happy life. This tragedy could have happened anywhere. It was unfortunate that it occurred in Taunton Deane.

"It is incredible that a design that was in common use for four decades was allowed to continue.

"Three-and-a-half million or so were installed in local authority homes, housing association premises, private homes and flats. The real cause of this disaster was a thermostat that failed."

Ten-month-old Rhianna's parents said in a statement her death was "completely avoidable" and an "accident waiting to happen".

The Health and Safety Executive did not do enough to inform Taunton Deane of the death of Sharon Minster in Penzance in 2002, the jury said in a narrative verdict.

The jury said: "The accident would not have occurred if the full implications of a similar incident at Penwith, Penzance, in 2002 been drawn to the attention of the landlords by the relevant authority and steps taken to ensure the cold water system and the thermostat complied with the current British standards."

Rhianna's family went on to call for a change in the law to prevent further deaths caused by faulty thermostats.