Refillable gas lighters could be a thing of the past following the death of a Bradford teenager who sniffed an aerosol can.

And Bradford area MPs are planning a Parliamentary debate to highlight the dangers of inhaling gas.

The moves follow a meeting between the MPs and Pat Bleau, whose 16-year-old daughter Chantelle died after sniffing gas lighter fuel at a friend's house in Bradford in December.

An inquest into her death heard that butane in the lighter fuel triggered a reaction which caused a cardiac arrest.

The MPs - Anne Cryer (Keighley), Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South), Marsha Singh (Bradford West) and Chris Leslie (Shipley) - met Mrs Bleau and Yvonne Hutchinson, co-ordinator of the Chantelle Bleau Memorial Fund which was set up to raise awareness of sniffing gas and other substances.

Mrs Cryer says butane gas, used as a propellant in many household aerosols, should be banned and feels gas lighter refills may have to be taken off the shelves to prevent another tragedy.

She said: "It could be we will have to look at getting rid of refillable gas lighters - one death is one too many.

"If stopping the sale of these canisters would stop people dying, I think we have got to look at it with a view to making them completely unavailable. It strikes me these refills are being used just for abuse."

Mr Sutcliffe, who has joined an all-party group of MPs looking at starting an anti-solvent abuse campaign, said the banning of refillable gas lighters and refill canisters was "a possibility".

He said: "The five of us have also decided to apply for an adjournment debate to put the facts about solvent abuse to the House of Commons."

Mrs Bleau, from Little Horton, welcome the increased involvement of the MPs. She said: "I think butane needs to be banned and parents need to be educated about how many household products contain it."

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