The sister of a much-loved young man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning wants to warn others about the “silent killer”.

“Popular and kind” Elliot Bourne fell asleep on a sofa in front of a coal fire in Hythe and was found unresponsive the next day.

Tragically, he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

He was just 27 years old - a “sudden and horrific” loss for Elliot’s family to come to terms with.

Now, his older sister Jennifer Bourne is kickstarting a push to raise awareness of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning to mark what would have been his 32nd birthday last Thursday.

The Canterbury resident said: “I think people are very unaware of the dangers. It's a silent killer.

“It's been quite shocking, actually, that people just don't realise we have all these gas-emitting appliances in our homes, especially approaching the winter when we're all turning on our boilers now, we're all lighting fires.”

Jennifer is now campaigning for everyone to have a carbon monoxide detector installed. A survey last year found that 44% of homes in the UK do not have one.

Recalling the tragic events of May 2021, the 36-year-old said: “Elliot went to sleep in a non-ventilated room with coals simmering.

“That's what emitted the carbon monoxide that, unfortunately, killed him.

“It was very sudden and horrific.”

Elliot, who lived in Sidcup, was otherwise healthy at the time of his death and was a popular young man who loved going out.

Jennifer believes many people do not know they or a loved one could lose their life in similar circumstances.

“That is the sort of thing no one would think would ever happen to them,” she said.

“I think people just don't understand the dangers.”

Jennifer has started a petition along with Project SHOUT, urging the government to make having a carbon monoxide alarm in every home the law, similar to fire alarms.

This is already the case in Scotland, but not in England and Wales.

She said: “Very sadly, Elliot fell into a loophole where if he had been found, say, for instance, in rented accommodation, or a new-build, or somewhere like a place of work - these are places that are legally bound to have a carbon monoxide detector. There's just a hole in the law which meant that as a family we haven't been able to get justice.”

Carbon monoxide detectors must be installed in new-builds - but Jennier wants it to be mandatory in all UK homes, regardless of how old they are.

“We want to make sure that everybody's safe, and - in Elliot's name - memorialise him because he was such a special, incredible young man,” she added.

The computer design engineer’s family paid an emotional tribute to him in 2021, saying he loved his car and was a sharp dresser.

A eulogy read at his funeral said: “He was caring, thoughtful and affectionate – he would hug everyone. El was also incredibly kind, and he had a good sense of humour and a real zest for life.

"El was extremely popular and had loads of friends.”

His death - confirmed by a coroner to be a result of carbon monoxide poisoning - devastated those close to him.

Jennifer said: “It was already traumatic and he was such a popular, well-loved human being, but we actually had to have Elliot's funeral before we even found out why he died because the test took so long to come back.

“That was incredibly difficult as well.

“We don't want any family to have to go through the pain that we are in at the moment.

“If it just triggers one person to think, you know what, I don't have a carbon monoxide detector, I'm going to get one. I think that's enough for us.”

Figures from the UK Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) reveal that incidents in Kent have increased by 156% over the past five years, reflecting a nationwide upward trend.

Project SHOUT is a national campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Emma Cook, Campaign Manager for Project SHOUT, said: “These figures show that the threat from CO remains as real as ever.

“The simplest and most effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to have an audible CO alarm installed, which costs around £20 but can save lives.

“Make sure all gas appliances are serviced regularly by a qualified Gas Safe engineer and that your CO alarm is working.

“If your alarm sounds, treat it seriously - get out, call the emergency services and don’t go back inside until it’s declared safe.”

Common symptoms of CO poisoning include dizziness, tiredness, headaches, nausea and flu-like symptoms.

They are often mistaken for seasonal illnesses or hangovers. People frequently report feeling better when they leave their home and worse again on returning.

Mr Bourne is not the only person to lose their life to this “silent killer” in Kent.

In 2023, Leah Churchill, 50, and her 17-year-old daughter Brooke Wanstall were found dead in a Whitstable burger van after they started a petrol generator.

Brooke’s brother, Tyla, urged people to be more aware of the dangers of the deadly gas.