THE mother of Newport DVT victim Emma Christoffersen (pictured) last night urged Parliament to "force airlines to stand up and take notice" of the condition.

Emma Christoffersen died from deep vein thrombosis at Heathrow Airport in September 2000, just moments after a long-haul flight from Australia.

The 28-year-old bride-to-be, who worked in Marks & Spencer, Newport, collapsed on her return from a dream holiday.

Emma's mother Ruth and her father John held a candlelit vigil at the House of Commons last night to commemorate the deaths of more than 50 people from DVT. Ruth made her impassioned plea during the vigil, which coincided with the second reading in the House of Commons of David Kidney's private member's Bill. If successful it would require airlines to provide information on the condition and on measures to reduce the potential risks of DVT.

Mrs Christoffersen, the chairwoman of the Victims of Air Related DVT Association (VARDA), which organised last night's vigil, said: "If this Bill went through it would force airlines to stand up and take notice and publish all cases of DVT."

The group's fight was also boosted by a landmark legal ruling yesterday which could allow millions of long haul flight passengers to sue their airlines for cramped seating.

Judge Andrew Wallace, sitting at Macclesfield county court, said package holiday company JMC was in breach of contract after hearing from holidaymaker Brian Horan, 56, who told him how he feared developing DVT during an eight-hour flight to Canada.

He was awarded £500 damages after saying his seat was uncomfortable and cramped. The ruling may now force airlines to review the space allocated to each passenger.

The judge said there was no evidence to suggest Brian had been exposed to the risk of DVT but found JMC in breach of contract after accepting he suffered discomfort on the Boeing 767 flights - and he predicted a flood of similar claims.