CORFU DEATHS MUM'S AGONY; Heartbroken Sharon to take tragic kids home.

Byline: By Chris Greenwood

THE mother of two children who died in a Corfu gas tragedy is expected to accompany their coffins back to Britain today.

Yesterday, Sharon Wood paid a second agonising visit to the mortuary where the bodies of seven-year-old Christianne and Robert, six, are being held.

Sharon, 35, clutching the arm of husband Paul, walked slowly into the Chapel of Rest in Corfu Town Cemetery, where the kids' bodies lay surrounded by candles and flowers.

The children, who had been taken to the mortuary in their pyjamas, were dressed in new clothes for the visit.

Dance teacher Sharon spent 40 minutes with her children before emerging, her legs buckling with grief.

A family friend said: "You can imagine the state she was in. She couldn't stop crying. Sharon just wanted to be with the children as much as possible and wants to be with them every step of the way home."

On Saturday, Sharon and Paul took a bouquet of pink and white flowers to the holiday bungalow where the youngsters died.

The friend said the couple hoped to leave Corfu with the children at 3.30pm today to take them home to Horbury, in West Yorkshire.

Christianne and Robert died of carbon monoxide poisoning during a holiday on the Greek island with their dad Neil Shepherd and his girlfriend Ruth Beatson.

Neil, 38, and Ruth, 27, were pulled unconscious from the bungalow in the town of Gouvia on Thursday.

Yesterday, doctors said the condition of both survivors had improved.

Ruth's mum Helen broke the news to her that the children were dead.

Neil had re-gained consciousness but remained in intensive care and was not well enough to be told the shattering news.

Corfu Town Hospital manager Ioannis Manzaropolous said Ruth could return to the UK within days.

The couple are unlikely to suffer long-term health damage.

The tragedy has been blamed on carbon monoxide leaking from a boiler into the room where the family slept.

It has also been reported that the family had closed the bungalow's windows to keep mosquitoes out and turned on the air-conditioning.

The owner and manager of the Louis Corcyra Hotel, as well as two maintenance staff, could face negligent manslaughter charges over the deaths.

Yesterday, the hotel manager held a press conference to defend his safety record.

George Chrysikopoulos said the whole complex was inspected for safety in April.

He also responded to reports about two tourists who fell ill while staying in the death bungalow in the week before the tragedy happened.

Chrysikopoulos said: "The two people who have reported feeling unwell in the same room in the week before were admitted to hospital for two days.

"They were diagnosed by two different doctors as having gastroenteritis.

"The police will no doubt investigate whether there are any links between this case and the present tragedy.

"We had no information at any time that would point to any problem with this bungalow prior to this tragic incident."

He said the bungalow was renovated seven years ago and the boiler was replaced two years ago.

British tour operators have sent an independent gas expert to the resort to check the safety of other similar appliances.

'She just wants to be with the two children every step of the way home'

CAPTION(S):

KILLED: Robert and Christianne were killed by poisonous gas. Main pic, Sharon and Paul visit the island mortuary yesterday PA