THE UK’s official gas safety authority has issued advice after six members of a Blackburn family escaped from a carbon monoxide leak which almost cost them their lives.

The Patel family were rescued from their home in Railway Grove, Little Harwood, after a faulty boiler began pumping out the lethal gas on Saturday afternoon.

Stakeholder manager for Gas Safe Register, Sarah Hill, said: “Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer as it you can’t see it, smell it or taste it, but it can kill quickly and without warning. “One of the best ways to keep you and your family gas safe is to get appliances checked at least once a year.”

Residents should know the warning signs of an unsafe gas appliance — including lazy yellow or orange flames instead of the crisp, blue ones. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be similar to flu. They include headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness.

For more information, visit www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500.