AN ELDERLY couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning after fatal fumes leaked into their house, an inquest heard.

Tragedy struck Dorothy Bond, 85 and husband William Bond, 87, after they settled down for an evening watching television on New Year's Eve.

Their bodies were discovered sitting in comfortable chairs at their home in Danes Road, Gainsborough, facing the television, which was still on.

The hearing at Lincoln Cathedral Centre yesterday, heard that toxicology reports found levels of carbon monoxide in both their systems to be more than 40 per cent the safe amount.

The court heard evidence from PC Rebeka Oakley, who found the pair after being alerted by a concerned friend. A statement from her read out in court said: "As soon as the door was open I felt the heat.

"The gas fire was blazing and the television was on at a very high volume.

"The smell of fuel was very strong. While the property was vented we went outside to wait as the smell of fumes was so strong."

A statement from Detective Sergeant Dave Harrop, who also attended the scene, said: "The gentleman was sat in a chair facing the television and was slumped in his chair. She was sat on the sofa with her head on her chest. The woman was holding a handkerchief.

"It looked at first glance as though they had both fallen asleep."

The court heard investigations by British Gas revealed pipe work for the combined gas boiler and fire, which was kept in the living room, was not properly connected.

A serious level of debris had built up inside the area of the pipe system that should have been clear to take toxic fumes out of the house.

Air vents in the bricks had been blocked with boxes, preventing any oxygen from getting into the room.

Ian Wright, safety assessment manager at British Gas gave evidence at the hearing.

He said: "Our tests on the boiler and fire showed things reached near fatal levels within 15 minutes of it being turned on.

"In my opinion, the original installation of the boiler was not done correctly. Several years later debris had fallen into the boiler and this caused toxic gases which should have been evacuated up the flue to seep back into the room."

Coroner Stuart Fisher said: "The lessons we should take from this are that gas appliances should be serviced regularly, vents should not be blocked and people should ensure they have an active audible carbon monoxide detector.

"I can rule they died as a result of an accident."

Addressing the couple's family, Mr Fisher said: "Your parents had reached a good age and it's so sad that at this stage in their life they died the way they did. I offer my sincere condolences to you all."