Gas heater probe after couple's camper-van deaths

A couple, who had been married for two years, died after running a gas heater in their camper-van at night, a coroner has said.

Kayleigh, 38, and Christopher Coll, 45, who had four children between them, were found dead in the parked van in a field at Burley, Hampshire, in October 2025.

The couple, from Blandford Forum, Dorset, had been running a craft stall at New Forest Cider Festival and were using a parabolic heater connected to a gas bottle, their inquests in Winchester heard.

Recording conclusions of death by misadventure, Hampshire coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp said she would ask the manufacturer whether its heaters carried warnings against indoor use.

The Colls were discovered dead on Sunday 12 October when they did not return to their stall, the court was told.

The inquest for Kayleigh Coll heard from her family that the couple were sleeping in the van as a "one-off" as they tried to get their business off the ground.

Giving evidence, Howard Jonas from Flogas, which inspected the heater, said parabolic heaters should only be used outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces.

The coroner concluded: "Overnight on the 11th, they suffered carbon monoxide poisoning due to running a camper gas cylinder with a heater that was not designed for use in an inside environment.

"I will be contacting the manufacturers of the heater to see whether a warning is on the device itself. I think that may prevent a future death.

"All I can say is I am terribly sorry because it's an absolute tragedy for two young people to die like this."

Family members who attended the hearings described Kayleigh Coll as "the most kind person you could ever meet".

They said Christopher Coll was a very loving, good person who "absolutely adored" his children.

A crowdfunding page to support the four children raised more than £33,000.