A mountain of free kit that could save children’s lives has been lying unclaimed in a Tayside office for a year.
A senior politician has asked the public not to take safety for granted after it emerged up to 3,000 home safety devices are untouched.
Ochil and South Perthshire MP Gordon Banks has campaigned for changes to the law since the tragic death by strangulation of two-year-old Muireann McLaughlin in his constituency five years ago.
He has asked parents to take advantage of free cleats for window blinds while repeating his calls for a change in designs to remove the threat forever.
He told The Courier: “After several years of campaigning to better safety standards in the operation of blinds, anything that can be done to improve the situation is to be welcomed.
“But the bottom line is that nothing but product redesign will completely eliminate the risk to young children from blind cords.
“Until then, I would urge parents to take all the precautions they can and take up of this offer of a free cleat kit which can be fitted to keep the cords out of reach of the children.”
The kits are being offered by Angus Care and Repair in a bid to prevent another accident that can, and does, happen to anyone.
Angus Council recently attempted to raise awareness of the free kits available to anyone who called in to the charity’s office, as reported by The Courier in January.
Social work and health convener councillor Glennis Middleton said: “I would urge all families who have blinds fitted in their homes to contact Care and Repair as a matter of urgency.
“It’s very quick, it’s very easy and can prevent a tragedy in their homes.”
The charity teamed up with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) to secure 3,000 cleats for anyone who has infants in their home.
Research by Rospa revealed there have been 26 deaths across the UK since 1999, with 13 deaths since 2010.
Angus Care and Repair manager Judith Leslie said: “Local authorities have done small pilots with these kinds of cleats however, they’ve not been fitted like we’re doing.
“The problem with that is people then just put them in a drawer or something.”
Two-year-old Muireann died at her home in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, prompting sheriff David Mackie to call for looped blind cords to be banned.