THE mother of a teenage girl killed by carbon monoxide poisoning revealed she will take a lead role in a national campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of the "silent killer".

Anne Mitchell, who found her 14-year-old daughter Alex lying dead on her bedroom floor on March 25, 2005, is hoping CO Awareness Week next month will put pressure on politicians to invest time and money into the cause.

Alex, who would have been 17 last Friday, and the family's pet dog, were both killed by deadly fumes from a faulty gas fire installed at their Cwmbran home.

In September lat year, Newport gas fitter Scott Stuart pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Alex after admitting he was not qualified to fit the particular type of flueless fire.

Mrs Mitchell said the grief she felt on Alex's birthday had been compounded by the knowledge Stuart was due for release this month.

But the heartbroken mother has vowed to continue her fight to make carbon monoxide detectors law in every home in the country.

On October 15 she will travel to the House of Lords with the CO-Awareness charity to meet politicians and ask them to do more to raise awareness.

MPs, medical and industry representatives will all be at the event.

Ms Mitchell will also go to the Welsh Assembly two days later to meet with Assembly ministers.

"I want to help in any way I can. I will be telling people they must make it law that everybody has a carbon monoxide detector fitted in their home.

"This is a very difficult time of year. He (Stuart) is probably back with his family but Alex will never be with hers.

"I've had great support from the community, especially Alex's school friends at Fairwater High, and I will keep trying to achieve something positive."

The CO-Awareness charity want the Government to force the gas industry to invest money into raising awareness of issues surrounding carbon monoxide.

A spokeswoman said the charity were delighted Ms Mitchell had joined their campaign.

The charity want people in the UK to be reminded to check the qualifications of engineers visiting their homes, given more information about carbon monoxide symptoms and encouraged to fit detectors in their homes.

Mum's poem marks daughter's day Anne Mitchell released this poem to mark her daughter's birthday: I see you in my dreams, Wake, and noone hears my screams.

Today you should have been 17, Oh, when I think of what should have been.

Happy birthday Ally-oop, from your broken-hearted mam.

Please buy a carbon monoxide detector.