Thomas Cook travel agent Susan Cooper and her husband John died from carbon monoxide poisoning after a pesticide to kill bed bugs was sprayed in the room next door at their Hurghada hotel, an inquest has concluded.

The couple fell ill at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in August 2018.

Preston Coroner’s Court heard that the room next door, which had an adjoining locked door, was fumigated around lunchtime on 20 August 2018 with a pesticide called Lambda, and the room was sealed with masking tape around the door.

John, 69, and Susan, 63, returned to their room on the night of 20 August but were found seriously ill the following day by their daughter.

John was declared dead in their room on 21 August but Susan died in hospital a few hours later.

Sky News reports Lancashire Senior Coroner Dr James Adeley said John’s illness and death were rapid but Susan received ‘utterly insufficient’ treatment after being taken to a clinic in the hotel before an ambulance was called, resulting in a four-hour delay before she reached a hospital.

“The three-day inquest heard that in some countries Lambda is sometimes diluted with another substance, dichloromethane, which causes the body to metabolise or ingest carbon monoxide,” Sky said.

On Friday, Dr Adeley ruled the couple died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning due to inhaling vapour from a pesticide that contained dichloromethane.

The inquest heard there had been multiple, repeated attempts to obtain more documents and information from the authorities in Egypt despite numerous requests from the Foreign Office.

Speaking outside the court, the couple’s daughter, Kelly Ormerod, said: “After more than five years of waiting we have finally been given closure today on the cause of mum and dad’s death.”