Toddler Muireann died waving goodbye to gran.
A dad whose toddler was strangled to death by a looped window blind cord has accused lawmakers of having “blood on their hands” for failing to ban them.
Two-year-old Muireann McLaughlin became entangled in the cord of a blind after slipping and falling while waving goodbye to her gran in February, 2008. She died within 20 seconds.
Her death prompted Sheriff David Mackie to call for looped blind cords to be banned.
He also accused policymakers in Europe and the UK of showing “inertia” over the dangers.
However, in the five years since, 16 more children have lost their lives in the same way as Muireann and legislation has still to be enacted.
Her dad, Angus, has hit out at the delays.
“We found out how dangerous they are to our cost,” said Angus, an NHS radiographer, who spent 40 minutes trying to revive his precious daughter after the tragic accident at their home in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire.
“Most countries in Europe don’t use these blinds, so it seems we’re being left out because Europe isn’t interested.
“It angers me because children are still dying. They need to be banned.”
Angus, 45, had just arrived home from work when he found his daughter’s lifeless body hanging from the roller blind.
His wife, Kate, who was pregnant at the time with daughter Aine, came home minutes later to find him performing CPR.
Muireann’s brother Cian, now 9, and sister Aoife, 11, witnessed the tragedy.
“It has left a huge crater in our family,” said Angus.
“Cian and Aoife still have vivid memories of the day. It has really affected them.
“There is no getting over it really.Some days even getting out of bed is difficult.
“Everything has changed. It’s been so difficult, it put a strain on our marriage.
“We’re still trying to get it all together,” he added.
Although many firms no longer sell blinds with looped cords, they are an estimated 200 million already fitted in homes across the country.
No one knows how many are safe.
Current European safety standards require blinds are sold with a safety device to prevent cords becoming loose.
These include cleats that allow the cords to be tucked away and break connectors that cause it to snap when a weight pulls on it.
However, the cleats sometimes go unused.
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