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Safety campaign launched after toddler's death

The Hull Daily Mail has launched a new safety campaign following the death of a toddler who was electrocuted by a faulty plug.

Home Safe has been launched with the support of electrical company npower to encourage householders to be aware of the dangers of electricity in the home.

And the paper is giving its readers the chance to make sure their properties are safe by having problem appliances, plugs or wiring examined by safety experts free of charge.

Lewis Preston, who was 19-months-old, died instantly when he picked up an extension lead left plugged into a wall socket at his aunt’s home.

An inquest into the tragedy heard how the faulty cable, which was found by to be at least 15 years old, had a screw missing from the socket’s cover. Two other screws had sheared threads, causing fatal live wires to be exposed.

The Mail’s campaign has been given the backing of Lewis’s parents, Philip and Tina.

Philip said: “We don’t want Lewis to have died in vain. We hope the Mail’s campaign will prevent someone else having to go through the pain our family has.”

The Mail’s assistant editor, Marc Astley, said: “Like all of our readers, we here at the Mail were moved by the tragic death of Lewis Preston.

“If the joint initiative between ourselves and npower saves one life, it will have been worth it.”

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