Two children killed by blind cord

Two children have been strangled to death by the cord of a window blind in identical accidents in the space of five days, police have confirmed.

A 16-month-old girl, Lillian Bagnall-Lambe, from Dartmouth Street, Stafford, was killed on Tuesday, it has emerged. This follows the death of three-year-old Harrison Joyce at his Lichfield home on February 4.

Harrison was believed to have been acting out action moves from cartoon series 'Go Diego' when he became tangled in the cord and was killed. He had been left alone for a matter of minutes.

His parents have launched a campaign to have looped cords on curtains and blinds banned in the United Kingdom under "Harrison's Law".

The design is already outlawed in The United States, Australia and Canada.

Harrison's father Scott Joyce, who manages several businesses and coaches childrens' football in Norton Canes, said the family will do anything to see the cords banished.

The 37-year-old said: "Our lives will never be the same again. Every day is a struggle and pouring everything into the campaign is all I can do. Harrison's legacy must be to have these cords banned and save thousands of lives."