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UK couple very ill in Corfu, autopsy on children

By Super
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Google Oneindia News

ATHENS, Oct 27 (Reuters) A British man and his partner were in critical condition in hospital on the Greek island of Corfu today, a day after they were found unconscious and the man's two children dead in their hotel room.

A pathologist was to carry out an autopsy to discover the cause of death of the girl, 7, and her six-year-old boy, while the two adults remained on life-support machines at Corfu General Hospital.

Some form of poisoning was suspected, but the hotel said it could not have been food poisoning as no other guests were ill.

''The hospital tells us they are still in critical condition,'' a police official told Reuters, adding that autopsies on the children would be carried out later in the day.

Neil Shepherd, his children Christianne and Robert and partner Ruth Beatson, from West Yorkshire, were found in their room early yesterday by a maid at the four-star beachfront hotel on the Ionian Sea island, popular with British tourists.

''Ruth Beatson is not the biological mother. We have informed the next of kin,'' a Foreign Office spokesman told Reuters.

Greek Public Order Minister Byron Polidoras assured British ambassador Simon Gass that there would be a thorough investigation, a ministry source said. ''Polidoras also said that should the embassy like to appoint some medical expert to take part in the investigation it could do so,'' the source said.

A hotel company source ruled out food poisoning in the hotel.

''It looks like a serious consumption of a toxic poison. Food poisoning is out of the picture,'' the source said. ''There are 500 guests at the hotel right now and they are all fine.'' ''There was no sign of forced entry into the room nor was there a 'do not disturb sign' on the door,'' the source added.

A receptionist at the hotel, located on Gouvia Bay some eight km northwest of Corfu town, said the family had arrived on October 23 and that the hotel would close for the season on October 31.

REUTERS PDM SSC1534

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