A mother sat in anguish yesterday as she heard how her two children died because of three blunders by staff maintaining a gas boiler at the holiday hotel . Sharon Wood listened intently as the details of how they were killed by fumes at the four-star Corfu hotel were outlined at an inquest . Christianne Shepherd , seven , and her brother Robert , six , were overcome by carbon monoxide that leaked from a faulty boiler as a ‘ happy and relaxed ’ family holiday in Corfu ended in ‘ appalling tragedy ’ . Christi Shepherd , seven , ( left ) and her brother Bobby , six , ( right ) died from carbon monoxide poisoning during a holiday in Corfu in October 2006 . Their father Neil Shepherd – who is Mrs Wood ’ s ex-husband – and his partner Ruth Beatson fell into a coma and were close to death when they were found the next morning by a maid , along with the bodies of the children . The couple recovered after emergency treatment . Yesterday , Mrs Wood , 44 , sat in silence as the details of her children ’ s final hours were related to the inquest jury at Wakefield Coroner ’ s Court , nine years after the tragedy . Scenes of the youngsters playing together were shown on a large screen as the background was outlined . Commenting on the inquest – which has been delayed partly because of ongoing legal proceedings – coroner David Hinchliff said : ‘ The family of these children have waited a long , long time for this day. ’ The jury was told how Mr Shepherd had booked the £2,000 holiday to the Greek island with Thomas Cook . The family were put in a bungalow at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel . On the third day of the trip in October 2006 , Christi felt ‘ unwell ’ and Bobby tripped and fell after feeling dizzy . Mr Hinchliff said they went to bed at 11.30pm . In the night Mr Shepherd , now 46 , went to his daughter when she was heard crying and Miss Beatson , who is now his wife , went to Bobby who was ‘ whimpering ’ . Their father , Neil Shepherd , and his girlfriend Ruth Beatson , ( together , left ) who he has since married , were also almost killed by the fumes . Pictured right is the children 's ' mother Sharon Wood , with her husband Paul . The bungalow at the four-star Corcyra Beach Hotel in Corfu , where Bobby and Christi had been staying with their father and his girlfriend . The bungalow is taped off and examined following the discovery of the children 's bodies in October 2006 . Tests showed the family had suffered carbon monoxide poisoning . The cause was identified as the gas-fired hot water boiler in an outhouse next to the bedrooms . Thomas Magner , a boiler expert hired to investigate by Thomas Cook , discovered the boiler covered in rust from water leakage . He identified a series of blunders , the inquest heard . The boiler had been installed without a ‘ chimney ’ or flue to take out unwanted fumes . Second , a ‘ protection device ’ designed to cut out the boiler if it overheated had been disabled as late as the day before the tragedy , to avoid a worker having to come and relight the boiler when it was tripped off , the inquest heard . Third , a crude hole in the outhouse internal wall enabled fumes to pass into the bedrooms . The hole has been made for air conditioning pipes , but had not been sealed . There was also a water leak which caused the boiler to work longer and dangerous gases to build up . The leak should have been obvious from the rust but it was not fixed . Mr Magner said tests showed a ‘ massive ’ concentration of carbon monoxide and the children were hardest hit because their room was closest to the source . Commenting on the workmanship , Mr Hinchliff asked : ‘ Was it bodged or botched ? ’ Mr Magner replied : ‘ You would say it was bodged. ’ The inquest was told problems with the boiler were first reported five months earlier . Boilers at the hotel had been installed about eight years before the tragedy and evidence indicated dangerously faulty boilers throughout the site . The family were initially not supposed to have been staying in the bungalow but were switched to number 112 because the room they were allocated was unsuitable . The inquest heard 112 had become available because the previous occupants had become unwell and were detained in hospital for tests and treatment . No further details were revealed . The hearing continues . Mr and Mrs Wood with Mr and Mrs Shepherd , pictured in 2006 . The two couples are on good terms and have battled for the facts of the case to be heard in the UK . The inquest jury was told that the family arrived at their hotel on October 23 2006 , and they were initially offered a room in the main block because there was a problem with the accommodation they had booked . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .
Christi Shepherd , 7 , and brother Bobby , 6 , found dead by a chambermaid . They were on holiday on Greek island with their father and his girlfriend . Neil Shepherd and Ruth Beatson were almost killed by the toxic fumes . Inquest into childrens ' deaths is being held today in Wakefield .